Download - Treaty of Versailles
2,000Breweries destroyed
1,000 BridgesBlown
up
300,000 Donkeys and
Mules taken
320,000kmBarbed wire
to pull up250million
Cubic metresOf trenches
To fill
500,000Sheep Taken
1600kmCoal-mining
Galleriesdestroyed
6,000 Factories gutted
500,000Cows taken
1,600km Railway
Destroyed
300,000Homes
Destroyed
War In France
Public Opinion
• France – Suffered too much to allow the Germans to be forgiven
• Britain – Also suffered too much to allow the German to be forgiven
• USA – Had not suffered as they joined the war late and had small causalities and no fighting took place in USA
• British & French believed that GERMANY STARTED THE WAR.
• WANTED REVENGE
Cost of the War.
• What the Government spent
• Germany £8,394 Million
• Austria-Hungary £4,563 Million
• Turkey and Bulgaria £499 Million
• Russia £5,021 Million
• Great Britain £7,852 Million
• France £5,392 Million
Military Loss of Life
• Germany 2,000,000• Russia 1,700,000• France 1,358,000• Austria 1,100,000• Great Britain 761,213• Italy 460,000• Turkey 375,000• British Empire 251,900• USA 114,095
Punishment
• Clemenceau’s victory at the peace talks.
• The American public opinion did not reflect President Wilson.
• Public opinion would not accept a peace that did not curb German power.
• The dictated treaty reflected the views of Clemenceau.
The Terms of the Treaty
• 7th May 1919
• The Germans expected a ‘fair’ treaty and were shocked by the terms of the treaty.
• However they were in no position to fight so were forced to sign the treaty.
• The Treaty contained over 200 clauses
Blame• Germany had to accept the Blame for
starting the war (Clause 231).
• This caused a lot of anger in Germany
He Started
the War!
They blame us
for the war.
ARGGH
Article 231
• Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied governments have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.
Reparations
• Germany had to pay £6,600 million (called Reparations) for the damage done during the war.
• Article 232 of the Treaty
Article 232
• Germany undertakes that she will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied powers and to their property
Anschluss
• The Anschluss was forbidden.
• This meant that Germany and Austria were not allowed to unite to form one country or Alliance.
Loss of land• Additionally Germany lost 13% of her European
land and 10% of her population.• The Polish corridor was created to give Poland
access to the Baltic Sea.
Questions
• 1. Were the military terms of treaty unfair to Germany?
• 2. Why was the Anschluss forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles?
• 3. Why is article 231 of the treaty known as the War Guilt Clause?
• 4. Were the Allies justified in forcing Germany to sign Articles 231 and 232 of the Treaty of Versailles?