Treaty of Versailles

A Peace Built Upon Quicksand

 Treaty of Versailles
• Conference January -June 1919
• Settlement drafted by delegates of victorious
nations in WWI: Britain, United States, France,
and Italy
• “We were preparing not Peace only, but Eternal
Peace. There was about us the halo of some
divine mission….For we were bent on doing
great , permanent and noble things.”
Participant of conference at Versailles,
World History: Continuity & Change, p. 612
 Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences
Social:
• almost 10 million soldiers were killed and
over 20 million are wounded
• millions of civilians died as a result of the
hostilities, famine, and disease
• the world was left with hatred, intolerance,
and extreme nationalism.
 Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences Continued
Economic:
• the total cost of the war: over $350 billion. How
was this paid for???
– heavy taxes: causes lower standard of living for the
European people.
• international trade suffers: nations raise the
tariffs on imports and exports.
• Russia: communist seize power and introduce a
new economic system.
• economic collapses bring on the Great
Depression of the late 1920’s and 1930’s.
 Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences Continued
Political:
• U. S. emerges as a world power because of the
assumption of international responsibilities.
• 3 major European dynasties are taken out of power:
Romanovs--Russia, Hohenzollerns--Germany,
Hapsburgs--Austria-Hungary.
• New states are created in central Europe, some
containing several different nationalities, especially in
Poland and Czechoslovakia.
• The League of Nations is created to solve international
problems and maintain world peace. Will be a failure.
• Many nations turn to military dictatorships—primarily
Russia, Italy, and Germany, to control their political
problems.
 The Mood in 1919
 Most countries felt Germany should pay for
the damage and destruction caused by the
War.
 The countries of Europe were exhausted.
 Their economies and industries were in a
poor state.
 Millions had died. Almost every family had
lost a member in the fighting.
 Ordinary citizens faced shortages of food
and medicine.
 The Impact of World War I

Political Economic Social

• The war led to the • WWI devastated • The war drew
overthrow of European more than a
monarchies in economies, giving million women into
the U.S. workforce,
Russia, Austria- the U.S. the
which helped them
Hungary, Germany, economic lead. pass the
and Turkey. Nineteenth
• The U.S. still faced
• It contributed to the problems such as Amendment to get
the vote.
rise of the Bolsheviks inflation, which left
to power in Russia in people struggling • It also encouraged
1917. to afford ordinary African Americans
items. to move to
• It fanned the flames northern cities for
of revolts against • Farmers, whose factory work.
colonialism in the goods were less in
Middle East and demand than
Southeast Asia. during the war,
were hit hard.
 Impact in Europe

• The effects of World War I in Europe were devastating.

– European nations lost almost an entire generation of young men.
– France, where most of the fighting took place, was in ruins.
– Great Britain was deeply in debt to the U.S. and lost its place as the
world’s financial center.
– The reparations forced on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles were
crippling to its economy.
• World War I would not be the “war to end all wars,” as some called it.
– Too many issues were left unresolved.
– Too much anger and hostility remained among nations.
• Within a generation, conflict would again break out in Europe, bringing the
United States and the world back into war.
 The Paris Peace Conference
• President Wilson led American negotiators attending the peace conference
in Paris in January 1919.
– His attendance of the Paris Peace Conference made him the first U.S.
President to visit Europe while in office.
– Republicans criticized Wilson for leaving the country when it was trying
to restore its economy.
• Wilson’s dream of international peace, though, required him to attend the
conference as a fair and unbiased leader to prevent squabbling among
European nations.
• The Paris Peace Conference began on January 12, 1919, with leaders
representing 32 nations, or about three-quarters of the world’s population.
• The leaders of the victorious Allies—President Wilson, British Prime Minister
David Lloyd George, French premier Georges Clemenceau, and Italian
prime minister Vittorio Orlando—became known as the Big Four.
• Germany and the Central Powers were not invited to attend.
 General Purpose
• To maintain a balance of power in Europe
like the Congress of Vienna
• To prevent another war
• Unfortunately, nations had differing aims
David Lloyd-George
Woodrow Wilson
[Great Britain]
[USA]

Orlando Georges Clemenceau

[Italy] [France]
The Four Major Leaders
 End of the War Continued
• Eventually five treaties
emerged from the Conference
that dealt with the defeated
powers.
• The five treaties were named
after the Paris suburbs:
o Versailles (Germany),
o St Germain (Austria),
o Trianon (Hungary),
o Neuilly (Bulgaria)
o and Serves (Turkey).
• These treaties imposed
territorial losses, financial
liabilities and military
restrictions on all members of
the Central Powers.
Woodrow Wilson
• President of the USA.
• Wilson was an idealist and
reformer, who wanted to build
a better and more peaceful
world.
• He didn’t want the Treaty to
be too harsh as he believed
this would lead to revenge.
• He wanted to set up a peace
keeping body – The League
of Nations
• Wilson did not understand
the deep feelings of hatred in
Europe.
 America
(Wilson)

• Fourteen Points including self-determination,

reduction in militaries, and the League of Nations
• American public preferred not to entangle itself
with Europe (ex. Henry Cabot Lodge)
 America’s View: A Peace of Justice
• Woodrow Wilson of America had been genuinely stunned
by the savagery of the Great War.
• He could not understand how an advanced civilization
could have reduced itself so that it had created so much
devastation.
• In America, there was a growing desire for the
government to adopt a policy of isolation and leave
Europe to its own devices.
• In failing health, Wilson wanted America to concentrate
on itself and, despite developing the idea of a League of
Nations, he wanted an American input into Europe to be
kept to a minimum.
• He believed that Germany should be punished but in a
way that would lead to European reconciliation as
opposed to revenge.
 America’s View Continued
• He had already written about what he
believed the world should be like in his
"Fourteen Points" The main points in this
document were:
1) no more secret treaties
2) countries must seek to reduce their
weapons and their armed forces
3) national self-determination should allow
people of the same nationality to govern
themselves and one nationality should not
have the power to govern another
4) all countries should belong to the League of
Nations.
 The Fourteen Points

• In a speech to Congress before the war ended, President Wilson outlined a

vision of a “just and lasting peace.”
• His plan was called the Fourteen Points, and among its ideas were
—Open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, the removal of trade barriers, and
the reduction of military arms
—A fair system to resolve disputes over colonies
—Self-determination, or the right of people to decide their own political
status and form their own nations
—Establishing a League of Nations, or an organization of countries working
together to settle disputes, protect democracy, and prevent future wars
• The Fourteen Points expressed a new philosophy that applied progressivism to
U.S. foreign policy.
• The Fourteen Points declared that foreign policy should be based on morality,
not just on what’s best for the nation.
Does this information help you to understand why so many people wanted revenge
after the war?

Around 8 million people had been killed

The cost of the war was roughly nine thousand million pounds

The destruction of land, homes, farms and factories was huge

Millions more people died after the war due to famine and disease

“In France and Belgium, where most of the war was fought, 300,000
houses, 6,000 factories, 1,000 miles of railway, 2,000 breweries and
112 coal mines were destroyed…In some ways, mankind has never
recovered from the horrors of the First World War.”
John D. Clare, First World War (1994)
David Lloyd George
• The prime minister of Great
Britain.
• He was a realist.
• An experienced politician
who realised there must be
compromise.
• The people of Britain wanted
revenge.
• He knew this would lead to
war but he represented the
people.
 Lloyd George (UK)

•Germany to be justly punished,

but not too harshly

•Germany to lose its navy and

colonies as these were a threat
to Britain's own navy and empire

•Germany and Britain to become

trading partners

BUT Overall, Lloyd George did not want to punish Germany too harshly as he did not
want Germany seeking revenge in the future
 Britain
• Protect overseas territory
and naval superiority
• Germany can remain a
major power
• Public opinion wanted
Germany to pay
• Represented by David
Lloyd George
 Great Britain’s Peace of
Vengeance
• David Lloyd George of Great Britain had two views on
how Germany should be treated.
• His public image was simple.
• He was a politician and politicians needed the support
of the public to succeed in elections.
• If he had come across as being soft on Germany, he
would have been speedily voted out of office.
• The British public was after revenge and Lloyd
George's public image reflected this mood.
• "Hang the Kaiser" and "Make Germany Pay" were two
very common calls in the era immediately after the
end of the war and Lloyd George, looking for public
support, echoed these views.
 Lloyd George’s Private Views
• He was very concerned about the rise of
communism in Russia .
• He feared that it might spread to western Europe.
• After the war had finished, Lloyd George believed
that the spread of communism posed a far greater
threat to the world than a defeated Germany.
• Privately, he felt that Germany should be treated
in such a way that left her as a barrier to resist the
expected spread of communism.
• He did not want the people of Germany to
become so disillusioned with their government
that they turned to communism.
 Private Views of Lloyd George
Continued
• Lloyd George did not want Germany
treated with lenience but he knew that
Germany would be the only country in
central Europe that could stop the spread
of communism if it burst over the frontiers
of Russia.
• Germany had to be punished but not to
the extent that it left her destitute.
• However, it would have been political
suicide to have gone public with these
views.
 •Lloyd George (UK)
•

There was pressure at home to make Germany pay – if

he had been too soft he would have been voted out as
PM.
•Lloyd George hated the Treaty.
•However "Hang the Kaiser" and "Make Germany Pay"
were two very common calls in the era immediately after
the end of the war and Lloyd George, looking for public
support, echoed these views.
•

He liked the fact that Britain got German colonies, and

What did Lloyd the small German navy helped British sea-power.
George like and • But, although many British people wanted to ‘make
dislike about Germany pay’, Lloyd George thought that the Treaty was
the Treaty? too harsh, and that it would start another war in 25 years
time.
George Clemenceau
• President of France.
• Clemenceau had seen
France invaded by
Germany in 1870 and
1914, he wanted to make
sure this would never
happen again.
• France had suffered
greatly during the War
they wanted compensation
and revenge.
• Uncompromising.
 France
• Bitter over French and Prussian War
• Permanently weaken Germany to protect France
(after two invasions)
• Some wanted Germany divided
• Represented by Premier Georges Clemenceau
 France’s Views: A Peace of
Vengeance
• Georges Clemenceau of France had one very
simple belief - Germany should be brought to its
knees so that she could never start a war again.
• This reflected the views of the French public but it
was also what Clemenceau himself believed in.
• He had seen the north-east corner of France
destroyed and he determined that Germany
should never be allowed to do this again.
• "The Tiger" did not have to adapt his policies to
suit the French public - the French leader and the
French public both thought alike.
 •Clemenceau (France)

Clemenceau liked the harsh things that were in

the Treaty, especially reparations, because they
would weaken Germany while helping France to
recover.
•He had one very simple belief - Germany should
be brought to its knees so that she could never
start a war again (France had been invaded by
Germany before in 1871).
•He liked the idea of a small German army, and
the demilitarised zone in the Rhineland, because
he thought that this would protect France from
What did attack in the future.
Clemenceau like •Also, he was pleased that France received Alsace-
and dislike about
Lorraine as this had been taken off France by
the Treaty?
Germany in 1871.
• In truth though, he wanted the Treaty to be
harsher.
Political Cartoon on Futile Attempts
of America
• What do you think is
the point of this
political cartoon?
• What do you think the
caption for this
political cartoon
should be?
 Treaty of Versailles – end of WWI
• The main points of
the Treaty [BRAT]
• 1. Germany had
to accept the
Blame for
starting the war
• 2. Germany
paid
Reparations for
the damage done
during the war.
Versailles cont. .
• 3. Germany
was forbidden to
have submarines
or an air
force. She could
have a navy of
only six
battleships, and
an Army of just
100,000 men.
Versailles

• 4. Germany
lost Territory
(land) in
Europe (see
map).
Germany’s
colonies were
given to
Britain and
France.
Germany had to hand over
some 70,000 square
kilometres of land.
This accounted for about 13%
of all of her land and six
million of her people who
lived there.
An Allied Army was to occupy
the Rhineland for a period
of fifteen years.

No German troops were to be

allowed into the occupation
zone.
 Mandate System
• Germany lost all overseas territories and a
mandate system set up where Allied
Countries pledged to prepare the subjects for
self-government (South-West Africa under
South Africa; Ruanda-Urundi under Belgium;
Tanganyika, Nigeria & Gold Coast under
Great Britain; Togo and Cameroons under
France)
• Ottoman Empire lost control of Arab lands in
the Middle East ( Palestine, Iraq &
Transjordan mandate of Great Britain;
Lebanon & Syria mandate of France).
World History: Continuity & Change, p.617-18
 Africa Mandates

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ger_claims_Prof_Delbruck_1917.jpg
 Middle East Mandates

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3860950
 Treaty of Versailles Items
• The Treaty of Versailles includes 440 articles. The
principal items are:
• Germany has to cede Alsace-Lorraine to France.
• Germany has to cede the coal mines in the Saar-
area to France.
• Germany has to cede an area with Moresnet,
Eupen, Malmédy and St. Vith to Belgium.
• Germany has to cede the main part of West-Prussia
and almost the whole province of Posen to the new
state of Poland.
• Germany has to cede all colonies: Togo en
Cameroun, the territories in East- and South-West
Africa, islands in the Pacific and possessions in
China.
 Treaty of Versailles Items Continued
• All German properties in foreign countries are
confiscated.
• Germany has to cede all war material to the Allies.
• German compulsory military service is abolished, as
well as the General Staff.
• Germany is not allowed to have tanks, airplanes,
submarines, large warships and poison gas.
• During 15 years Germany is not allowed to station
troops on the left border of the river Rhine and in a 50
km strip on the right border of the Rhine.
• The total size of the Germany army is not to exceed
100,000 men.
 Treaty of Versailles Items
Continued
• The German navy has a maximum of 15,000
men.
• Germany is allowed a total of 4,000 officers.
• Germany is not to take part in the League of
Nations.
• Austria has to cede South-Tyrol to Italy.
• Turkey has to cede all foreign possessions.
England gets Iraq, Palestine and Trans-
Jordan, France gets Syria and Lebanon.
 Treaty of Versailles Items Continued
• Germany has to cede to the allies all seagoing ships with a
carrying capacity exceeding 1600 Brt, plus half of all ships
between 1000 and 1600 Brt.
• Furthermore one fourth of the fishing fleet and two fifths
of the inland navigation fleet has to be ceded.
• Germany has to cede large amounts of machinery and
building materials, trains and trucks.
• Germany has to deliver certain amounts of coal,
chemicals, dye and fuel for many years.
• All German sub-ocean telegraph cables are confiscated.
• Germany has to pay 20 billion goldmarks.
 War Guilt Clause
• Article 231 of the Treaty
• "The Allied and Associated Governments affirm
and Germany accepts the responsibility of
Germany and her allies for causing all the loss
and damage to which the Allied and Associated
Governments and their nationals have been
subjected as a consequence of the war imposed
upon them by the aggression of Germany and
her allies.”
• Germans felt the clause was unjust
 The Treaty was designed
to cripple Germany
militarily, territorially and
economically
WAR GUILT CLAUSE
Germany had to accept GERMANY’S MILITARY
blame for starting WW1 FORCES REDUCED
NO UNION WITH AUSTRIA
- Army restricted to
100,000 men.
REPARATIONS
- No modern weapons
Germany forced to pay
massive fine for war
THE TERMS such as tanks, military air
damages - 1,000,000,000 OF THE TREATY OF force.
Marks (6.6bn pounds). VERSAILLES - Navy could not have
battle ships over 10,000
GERMAN OVERSEAS
1919 tons and no U-Boats.
TERRITORRIES
RHINELAND TO BE DE-MILITARISED
Germany lost Chinese
ports [Amoy and
Tsingtao], Pacific GERMAN NATIONAL TERRITORY
Islands, and African - Germany lost national territory which was given
colonies [Tanganika and to Belgium and Denmark, most went to Poland.
German SW Africa].
 USA “Sweet Oil of Brotherhood” England France
Italy

What is the
message of this
cartoon?
Answer using
CONTENT
(what you see)
Name of Cartoon:
and CONTEXT “Peace “The Melting Pot”
National
(what you know) Soup” Sentiment
1-2 – message partially identified
3-4 – message identified
5-6 – message + good use of CONTENT (what you
see) OR CONTEXT (what you know about the period)
7 – message + good use of CONTENT (what you see)
AND CONTEXT (what you know)
The message of the cartoon is that Big Three at the Paris Peace
negotiations have different goals and, as a result, the “Peace Soup” they
are making is a mess.
The cartoon compares the peace process to a number of chefs cooking a
soup. Wilson is the head chef. In the cartoon he is pouring the “Sweet Oil
of Brotherhood” into the soup. This reflects his desire for a “just peace”
and to set up a new League of Nations to help bring all countries together.
Lloyd George of Britain, Clemenceau of France and the Italian leader
are all shown. They each have buckets of “national sentiment” to pour into
the soup. This shows they are not acting together but just doing what is
right for themselves. As a result the “peace soup” they are making is a
mess that is unlikely to please anyone… just like the real Treaty.
 A German nationalist responds to the terms of the treaty:
• “People and government have,
during the most recent days, • What is his view of
unambiguously made clear that the Treaty of
we cannot sign the document
which our enemies call a peace. Versailles?
One thing is certain, that any • What is he
government, which, by its
signature, would confer upon this threatening?
work of the devil…the halo of • Why does this not
right, would, sooner or later be
driven out…Nothing is left but to bode well for a lasting
remain cold-blooded, offer peace?
passive resistance wherever
possible, and show contempt
and pride”
• ---Alfred von Wegerer
• May 28, 1919
2 ToV cartoons – what do they mean?

Germany
Shows Germany as beaten
but still big and solid enough
to be dangerous

British and
French police

Shows what cartoonist

thinks the Treaty terms
should do to Germany

Devastation
caused by war

Large and solid

(prisoner won’t
escape)

Deliberately shown as
civilians (not army) GIVING HIM ROPE?
German criminal (to Allied Police): Here, I say,
stop! You’re hurting me!
Suggests cartoonist
thinks Germany will try [Aside] If I only whine enough I may be able to
to worm out of wriggle out of this yet!
responsibility for war
1. Describe the
scene shown,
what is the ‘Punch’ was
storyline? Britain’s main
2. Then, assess the political
individual
magazine of
features in the
cartoon. the period.
3. Then, identify the
political message Why the candle
intended by the ‘snuffer’? What
cartoonist. political
message does
it represent?
What does
the ‘Angel’ What does
represent? the candle
represent?

What is the general political message of the cartoon?

 The Post-War Peace Settlements?
Treaty Date Countr Territorial Changes Armed Reparation
y Forces s
St 10 Austria Bohemia/Moravia to Czechoslovakia 3 million Limited to Payments for
Germain Sep Ethnic Germans (Sudetens) within new 30,000 30 years
1919 Czechoslovakia Conscription Never Pays
Bosnia & Herzegovina/Croatia to Yugoslavia abolished except
Galicia to Poland, Trieste/Istria/South Tyrol to animals
Italy
Anschluss (Union) with Germany forbidden
Neuilly 27 Bulgaria Western Thrace to Greece Limited to Payments
Nov Western Border Areas to Yugoslavia 20,000 amounting to
1919 Territory captured during the war returned to around
Romania £10 million
Trianon 4 Jun Hungary Lost around 75% of its pre-war territory Limited to Economically
1920 900,000 ethnic Hungarians to Czechoslovakia 35,000 weakened to
1.6 million in Transylvania to Romania Landlocked extent that
420,000 to Yugoslavia so no navy unable to pay
Sevres

Lausann
e
German Postcard
• German postcard
produced about the
time of the Treaty of
Versailles.
• Its title is 'Hands off
German Homeland'.
• On the stone (bottom
left) is written 'd.ö.'
standing for Deutsch-
österreich (German
Austria).
Source C
A German postcard, produced about the
time of the Treaty of Versailles, showing
the land where Germans lived. The areas
in red are the lands given to other
countries by the Treaty of Versailles,(
including the land lost by Austria).

Its title is 'Lost but not forgotten land'.

The poem under the map reads:
You must carve in your heart
These words, as in stone -
What we have lost
Will be regained!
 Vengeance! German Nation
Today in the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles the disgraceful Treaty
is being signed. Do not forget it! The German people will with
unceasing labour press forward to reconquer the place among
nations to which it is entitled. Then will come the vengeance for
the shame of 1919.
From the ‘Deutsche Zeitung’ [‘The German Express’] newspaper.

Only fools, liars and criminals could hope for mercy from the
enemy. In these nights hatred grew in me, hatred for those
responsible for the dead.
By Adolf Hitler, who had served in the army and became a future leader of
Germany
What was the League of Nations?
• An idea of American President Woodrow
Wilson following the first world war
• An international police force made up of
representatives of many countries
• An organisation that would allow
disputes to be settled without resorting
to war, based in Geneva (neutral).
 The League of Nations basic
facts.
Woodrow Wilson’s brainchild.
Meant to maintain peace amongst nations and
solve disputes in fairness.
Created in 1919.
42 countries joined the League.
Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Germany and USSR not allowed to join.
US congress votes against US participation.
Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan are the
big 4.
The League has limited resources and no
armed forces. It depends on collective security:
members acting together to maintain peace.
 Differing views on how the
League should operate:
America Britain France

A world parliament A simple organisation A strong League

where that would meet capable of enforcing
representatives during emergencies decisions with its
would meet regularly own army
to decide on matter
which affected all of
them
Each of these types of League has advantages and
disadvantages:

Although France’s idea of a strong League would mean it

could be an effective force, the League was meant to be
centred on peace. Potentially, its own army could provoke
another war

Britain’s simpler idea would mean that the League would

merely dealing with emergencies rather than working on
preventing them from of occurring in the first place

America’s version of the League would be expensive and a

complicated to organise, although it might have been the
most effective version in terms of keeping peace
However, the idea of joining the League
was not popular with all Americans…
Many Americans did not think the Americans wanted to stay out of
Treaty of Versailles was fair. As the disputes that might enter their
League was linked with the treaty, troops into the kind of carnage of the
they did not want to be a part of it first world war

Others wanted to avoid the economic Many Americans were anti-French or

cost of joining the League Anti-British. They thought the
League would be run by these
countries and did not want to get
involved with their affairs
Wilson’s party lost the election in 1919. His
opponents promised to follow a policy of
isolationism (staying out of international affairs).
And so America did not join the League of
Nations…
The League of Nations

Encourage
co-operation Stop aggression

AIMS
Improve
Disarmament social conditions
 Aims of the League
1. Discourage aggression from any country

2. Encourage co-operation in business and

trade

3. Encourage disarmament

4. Improve working and living conditions

for people across the world
 Membership
• 42 members - by 1930’s 59
• Defeated countries could not join e.g.
Germany
• Russia excluded because communist
• USA did not join - isolation from world
affairs
• A club for the victorious?
 When it opened, some countries
were not members of the League:
America:- had become isolationist

Germany:- As a defeated country who was

blamed for staring the Great war,
Germany was not invited to join

Russia:- Were not invited to join the

League, mainly due to their Communist
government
The Structure of the League of
Nations
 Structure
The Council
Met several times a year
The Assembly and in emergencies
Each country one vote 5 permanent members
Each had right to veto any idea

Permanent court of
International Justice
Based at The Hague
Settle disputes peacefully The Secretariat
No power of enforcement Kept records - civil service
 Powers of the League
• If a country ignored the ruling of the
League it could:
• Put pressure on
• Refuse to trade - sanctions
• Send in troops - member countries join
together
 Powers of the League
The Covenant of the League set out three ways
the League could settle disputes:

1. A hearing by a neutral country

2. A ruling by the International Court of
Justice (what’s the weakness with this?)
3. An Inquiry by the council
 If this didn’t work the League
could take action

• MORAL SANCTIONS – Put pressure

on the guilty country to stop.
• ECONOMIC SANCTIONS – Members
would refuse to trade with the guilty
country.
• MILITARY SANCTIONS – Members
of the league would join armed forces
together to take action NOTE: never
used!
Can you see any weaknesses in the League’s powers?
 Strengths of the League
• Many countries supported it in early days -
they wanted peace
• Had some early successes:
• Settled some land disputes in 1920’s
• Helped refugees,
• Dealt with spread of disease,
• Fought for better conditions for people
 Successes in the 1920s
• With the League’s help over 400 000 prisoners of
war were returned home
• The slavery Commission brought about the freeing
of over 200 000 slaves in British-owned Sierra-
Leone and organised raids against slave owners
and traders in Burma
• The Health Committee worked hard to defeat
leprosy and malaria. It later became the World
Health Organisation
• Sweden accepted the League’s decision to give the
Aaland islands to Finland. The two countries thereby
avoided going to war for them
• The League divided Upper Silesia between
Germany and Poland after a plebiscite showed a
clear divide. Both countries accepted this decision.
 Weaknesses of League
• USA didn’t join
• No real power - relied on goodwill and
persuasion
• No permanent army
• Disarmament not realistic
• Structure a disaster - everyone had to
agree before any action taken
 1929 Wall Street Crash!
This is MAJOR turning point for the league:

*Many members of the League were now focussed on

solving domestic problems.
*The crash created a depression in Europe causing
unemployment and poverty.
Dictators rose to power as they promised a solution
to problems.
These were new problems for the League to face
*Had a major effect on Japan who relied heavily on
international trade.
This would eventually contribute towards the
invasion of Manchuria
 Failure of Collective Security
“During the 1930’s three powers--Japan,
Italy and Germany--grew increasingly
aggressive.”
“Each sought to enhance its influence and to
expand its territory through the use of
military force.”
“Anxious to avoid war, the Western
democracies yielded time and again to the
aggressors.”

World History: Continuity & Change, p.684

 The 1930s…
Were BAD for the League:

*The 1930s are always seen as bad for the

league by comparison with the 1920s.
Remember this for exam questions that ask
about both
*There were three huge failures for the League
in the 1930s:
1. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria
2. The failure of the disarmament conference
3. The invasion of Abyssinia by Italy
 Failure #1: Manchuria
• There was an explosion on the Manchurian railway
that ran though China. The Japanese depended on
this railway to transport goods into their country,
whose natural resources and agriculture were
limited by their mountainous terrain.

• The Japanese invaded China on the grounds that it

needed to safeguard its railway. However, they
later also bombed Shanghai

•China appealed to the League for help and the

League ruled that the Japanese should return
Manchuria to Chinese rule.

•But Japan continued to invade new areas of

China

•The League discussed sanctions but its

member were not prepared to send troops to
enforce its decision…
 Why did it fail?
*Japan was too far away

*The League were worried about offending Japan who

was an important member of the League

*Britain and France were more concerned about the

problems resulting from the depression in their own
countries

*Russia, the only country with troops and resources

enough to combat the problem quickly in the region,
was not a member of the League
 Failure 2: The Disarmament conference
1932-3
In February 1932 the League of Nations began the long-
awaited disarmament conference.

It produced resolutions to limit the size of artillery and

tanks, ban the bombing of civilians and chemical warfare.
HOWEVER, nothing was agreed upon as to how they would
enforce these limits.

They were also unsure as to what to do about Germany-

should all countries disarm to her level or should Germany
be allowed to re-arm to the new universal lower level as
the TOV had been too harsh?
 Key events at the Disarmament
Conference
July 1932 Germany walked out after the other
countries failed to agree to all countries
disarming to its level

December 1932 An agreement was finally reached to treat

the Germans equally

January 1933 Germany announced that it was coming

back

February 1933 Hitler started to re-arm Germany anyway in

secret

October 1933 Hitler walked out of the Conference

permanently and soon after withdrew
Germany from the League of Nations
Failure 3: Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia 1935
The pale grey areas were
Italian territory in
eastern Africa.

You can see why Italy, who

wanted to expand her
empire, would choose
this area of land.

Italy also wanted revenge

after an embarassing
failed attempt to take
Abyssinia in 1896
 The background
• Like Japan, Italy was an important member of
the League
• Like Japan, Italy wanted to expand its empire

• Unlike Japan, Italy was right on the League’s

doorstep
• Unlike Japan, Abyssinia had borders with
British colonies

• UNLIKE Japan, the League could not claimthe

problem was too far away to deal with.
This would be a very real test for the League
 The events
• 1934 There was a dispute
between Italian and Ethiopian
soldiers at an oasis 8oKM inside
Abyssinia.
•Mussolini claimed this was
Italian territory

• Mussolini began preparing an

army for an invasion

•The Abyssinian emperor

appealed to the League for help
 So what did the League do?
Very little…

*The League was anxious to keep Italy on side. Italy was

their best ally against Hitler.

*Britain and France signed an agreement with Mussolini

about standing united against Germany and the
problem in Abyssinia was not even discussed

*There was much talking and negotiating but nothing

was actually done to discourage Mussolini

*Eventually a committee reported to the League that

neither side was responsible for the conflict at the
oasis. The League put forward a plan that would give
Italy some of Abyssinia. But Mussolini rejected it.
 The siTuaTion worsens…
• October 1935 A full-scale Italian invasion of Abyssinia commenced

• It was a clear sign of aggression and the League’s covenant (set of

guidelines) made it clear that sanctions should be imposed.

• It banned sales of arms, rubber, metals and loans to Italy.

• However, these sanctions caused economic problems e.g. British coal-

workers lost jobs because of ban of exports to Italy

• And Britain and France were making secret plans behind the League’s
back, offering Mussolini more of Abyssinia in return for stopping his
invasion

• Eventually, Hitler’s invasion of the Rhineland made many countries

unwilling to upset Italy any further, as their support against Hitler
seemed crucial.

The League watched helplessly. Mussolini annexed the

whole country. The League had failed.
 What were the reasons for the League of
Nations’ failures during the 1930s?
Self-interest Absence of Lack of Troops
important
We have
our own
countries
problems!

TOV it was meant Decisions were Sanctions were

to protect was slow ineffective
unfair
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Saint-Germain (Sept. 1919)
• Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were just as
multi-national as the Austro-Hungarian Empire
they replaced
– Czechoslovakia
• Czechs
• Slovaks
– Yugoslavia
• Serbs
• Montenegrins
• Croats
• Slovenes
• Bozniaks
• This caused future unrest
in the area
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Saint-Germain (Sept. 1919)
• Broke up Austria-Hungary
• Had to pay war reparations – went bankrupt before
they could be set
• Couldn’t enter into unions without consent of the
League of Nations
• Austrian army limited to 30,000 volunteers
• Reduced their territory
• Also dealt with railroad rights and navigation rights
over the Danube River
• Result - The vast reduction of territory, population, and
resources of the new Austria severely affected its
economy and made them resentful
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Trianon (Nov. 1920)
• Hungary lost 2/3 of its territory and 3.3 million people
• When the Romanian Army infringed upon the cease-
fire line, the Allied powers asked Hungary to
acknowledge the new Romanian territorial gains
• Unable to reject the terms, but unable to accept the
treaty, the democratic government resigned. It was
replaced by a Communist government
• The Romanian army attacked and won
• The Allied powers restored the Hungarian state
• Army reduced to 35,000; no conscription
• Was to recognize the rights of minorities in her
borders
• Amount of reparations was never set
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Trianon (Nov. 1920)
• Results - Caused economic problems and
ethnic unrest. They sided with Germany in
WWII
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Sevres (Aug. 1920)
• Ottoman Empire renamed Turkey
• Territory shrunk:
– Created the Kingdom of Hejaz (later Saudi Arabia)
– Created Armenia
– Greece and Italy got territorial gains
– Mandates were given to:
• Britain –
– Iraq
– Palestine
• France –
– Lebanon
– Syria
 Political Effects After WWI –
British Mandate of Palestine
• The United Kingdom was granted control of
Palestine by the Versailles Peace Conference
• During World War I the British had made two
promises regarding territory in the Middle East:
– Britain had promised the local Arabs, through
Lawrence of Arabia, independence for a united
Arab country covering most of the Arab Middle
East, in exchange for their supporting the British
– Britain had promised to create and foster a Jewish
national home as laid out in the Balfour Declaration,
1917
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Sevres (Aug. 1920)
• Allies controlled the Empire’s finances
• Everyone was to be granted free transit through the
Empire
• Goods in transit were to be free of customs duties
• Property of citizens from Germany, Austria, Hungary,
and Bulgaria was to be liquidated
• Army reduced to 50,000, reduced navy, reduced air
force
• Were supposed to give up the people responsible for
committing massacres during the war to an Allied
Tribunal, but this was never executed
• The Dardanelle Straits were to be open in both peace
and war
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Sevres (Aug. 1920)
• Results –
– Created areas under Western control that were
nationalistic and sought their autonomy
– Fostered resentment of the occupying Western
forces
– Some Middle Eastern countries, like Iran, would
create a good relationship with Germany
– Didn’t resolve the issue over a Jewish homeland
 Political Effects After WWI –
Treaty of Neuilly (Nov. 1919)
• Bulgaria established borders over contested
territories
• Reduce army to 20,000
• Pay reparations of over $400 million
• Results – Resentment over the loss of lands led
them to occupy them with the Nazis during
WWII
 Political Effects After WWI - New
Governments
• Monarchies were replaced in Russia, Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
• Socialistic ideas experienced a boom
• Revolution was in the air as people began to express
their desires for a better way of life
• Britain, France, and Germany all experienced a rise in
socialism to deal with:
– Better working conditions
– 8-hour work day
– Collective bargaining
– Wages
– Housing
 Political Effects After WWI –
The U.S. Returns To Isolationism
• America's return to isolationist politics
after the war caused them to reject
Wilson's plan to join his new international
peace-keeping community
• America's abstention destroyed any real
hopes for international cooperation to
keep the peace, since France and
England were not strong enough to do it
alone because they were in so much debt
 Political Effects After WWI –
Fear of German Resentment
• Locarno Treaty
– Signed in October 1925
– The Germans renounced any desire to
change their western frontier with France
and accepted the loss of Alsace-Lorraine
– Britain and Italy guaranteed the western
frontiers of France and the continued
demilitarization of the Rhineland against a
“flagrant breach” – but what did that mean?
 Political Effects After WWI –
Fear of German Resentment
• Locarno Spring
– Had eased tensions between France and Germany,
but France was still suspicious of Germany
– From 1925-1929, relations were better between the
two countries
– France had an alliance with Poland and
Czechoslovakia, but these two countries couldn’t be
counted on for French security
– Britain wouldn’t aid France if they attacked
Germany
 Political Effects After WWI –
Kellogg-Briand Pact
• Created by the U.S. Secretary of State and
French Foreign Minister
• Agreement signed in 1928 that renounced war
as a way to resolve disputes
• A total of 62 nations signed the treaty, including
the U.S., Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain,
Russia, and Japan
Political Effects After WWI - Stab
In the Back & Hitler’s Rise
• The German and Austrian populaces, with their
censored presses, had been kept in the dark about the
recent military defeats of their armies, so that the
surrender came as a complete, nasty surprise
• As Germany itself had not been militarily conquered,
its citizens expected a mild, negotiated settlement,
and were stunned by the harsh peace treaty that their
new leaders eventually agreed to
• In the years after the war, conspiracy theories grew up
in which Germany had been defeated not on the
battlefield, but by treacherous politicians at home.
Adolf Hitler would later use these theories to great
effect in rallying opposition to German democrats,
socialists and communists
 Political Effects After WWI –
Stab in the Back & Hitler’s Rise
• Adolf Hitler, a veteran of the War's
worst firestorms, desperately
sought a reason for defeat
• Imbued with a burning hatred of
Jews, Bolsheviks and even
Democrats, the solution was
simple - the country had been
stabbed in the back by the
November Criminals, or in Hitler's
words: "a gang of despicable and
depraved criminals!"
 Political Effects After WWI - Stab In
the Back & Hitler’s Rise
• The First World War created the Dictator that the
world would bitterly come to know
• He himself admitted this in 1941, saying: "When I
returned from the War, I brought back home with me
my experiences at the front; out of them I built my
National Socialist community"