Treaty of Versailles: Cambridge IGCSE History Notes (PDF)

Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes History Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair? Contents Why was There a Need for the Treaty of Versailles? Motives & Aims of the Big Three at Versailles Compromises by the Big Three at Versailles What was...

Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes History Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair? Contents Why was There a Need for the Treaty of Versailles? Motives & Aims of the Big Three at Versailles Compromises by the Big Three at Versailles What was the Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany? Justification for the Treaty of Versailles © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 1  Why was There a Need for the Treaty of Versailles? Your notes Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair? Why was There a Need for the Treaty of Versailles? - Timeline & Summary © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 2  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 3 There was a need for peace treaties due to the conflict of the First World War from 1914 to 1918. The First World War occurred between the Triple Alliance, or Central Powers, of Germany, Austria-Hungary and their allies and the Triple Entente of France, Britain and Your notes Russia. During the 1910s, most European leaders were planning for a conflict. Germany launched the Schlieffen Plan in August 1914. This aimed for Germany to rapidly invade and conquer France by cutting through neutral Belgium. This plan ultimately failed, creating the need for trench warfare. European countries would later use the Schlieffen Plan as evidence that Germany was aggressive and caused the First World War. During the First World War, Germany created harsh peace terms for their enemies. As a result of its poor military performance and the communist revolution, Russia withdrew from the conflict. In March 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk forced Russia to give up around 1 million square miles of land and over a third of its population. The Allies used this treaty against Germany in the Paris Peace Conference. Some European countries argued that Germany should suffer as harsh peace terms as they had forced Russia to endure. Germany launched their Spring Offensive in March 1918 and their military leaders were confident it would result in German victory. Despite its early successes, the gamble of the Spring Offensive did not deliver the necessary defeat of the Allies. The USA joined the war in April 1917 in support of Britain and France, boosting the number of Allied soldiers. Germany surrendered on 11th November 1918. German politicians of the new Weimar Republic signed the Armistice. The German army retreated in November 1918 but it was not defeated. Some Germans did not believe in signing the armistice because Germany had not lost the war on the battlefield. The First World War had a devastating impact on Europe. Historians estimate that the conflict caused around 8.5 million military deaths and around 13 million civilian casualties. In France, in the 18 to 30 age group, there were 15 women for every man in 1919. Britain also suffered heavy losses. Around 750,000 British soldiers died in the First World War. A significant amount of fighting and trenches occurred in Belgium and France. This is known as the Western Front. The use of artillery and offensive mining caused mass destruction of the landscape. The conflict destroyed hundreds of factories, railways and roads. This created significant economic problems for France. The levels of destruction made some leaders of Europe seek revenge against Germany. This influenced the type of peace achieved in the Treaty of Versailles. Causes and Consequences of the First World War © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 4  Your notes A flow diagram showing the causes and consequences of the First World War © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 5 Motives & Aims of the Big Three at Versailles Your notes Who were the Big Three? The armistice only ensured temporary peace There needed to be an official peace document where the Allies agreed on the terms of the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Türkiye and Bulgaria’s defeat Discussions began in January 1919 at the Palace of Versailles, Paris The meeting is called the Paris Peace Conference The meeting aimed to create five peace treaties called the Versailles Settlement. The biggest treaty was the Treaty of Versailles, which dealt with Germany The ‘Big Three’ negotiated the terms of the treaty. These were: Georges Clemenceau (Prime Minister of France) Woodrow Wilson (President of the USA) David Lloyd George (Prime Minister of Great Britain) An illustration showing the members of the ‘Big Three’ Examiner Tips and Tricks Students often struggle to spell Clemenceau. His name does not sound the way it is spelt as the French alphabet has different sounds to the English alphabet. Keep practising the spelling of this name until you feel more confident. You could also © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 6  create a mnemonic for words you find difficult in this topic. This will help you to remember the order of the letters in each word. Your notes Motives of the Big Three Georges Clemenceau’s Motives Clemenceau saw the Paris Peace Conference as an opportunity to gain territory back France and Germany had fought twice during the 19th century Germany had taken key areas from France including the region of Alsace-Lorraine France feared future invasion from Germany Germany and France shared a border Clemenceau wanted to limit Germany’s military strength Clemenceau was angry and uncompromising The majority of the Western Front was in France The fighting had destroyed many roads, hospitals and factories Clemenceau wanted Germany to pay to repair these damages and take responsibility for starting the war Woodrow Wilson’s Motives Wilson was an idealist. He wanted to create a lasting peace after the First World War The Versailles Settlement should embody what he called the ‘14 Points’. Some of his 14 Points were that: All national groups should have their own country. This is called self- determination All countries should follow a policy of disarmament to avoid war in the future All countries should discuss their issues openly and not sign secret treaties All countries should remove trade tariffs and cooperate economically Wilson pictured a new organisation called the League of Nations This League encouraged countries to communicate their problems rather than use violence and war Wilson wanted all countries to join the League of Nations It would support the implementation of Wilson’s 14 Points Wilson wanted to trade with Germany Large reparations would make Germany weak and could lead to its collapse as a country © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 7  A strong, economically secure Germany would help rebuild Europe after the First World War David Lloyd George’s Motives Your notes Lloyd George was realistic and agreed with aspects of France’s and the USA’s motives Britain had experienced high casualties like France The British public hated Germany and wanted revenge Lloyd George understood some of Clemenceau’s personal anger towards Germany Before the start of the First World War, Germany had challenged Britain’s naval power From 1884 onwards, Germany had expanded its empire. Britain wanted to have the strongest and biggest empire in the world Britain also supported Wilson’s point that a strong Germany was better for European economies A prosperous Germany would want to trade with Britain and buy its imperial goods Worked Example What were Wilson’s aims for the League of Nations? 4 marks Answers: Wilson wanted the League to keep the peace (1). Disputes between nations would be resolved by the League (1). Wilson intended that all states would join (1). Wilson hoped that the League would encourage countries to follow a policy of disarmament, as stated in his 14 Points (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This style of question does not require you to explain your answer. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason. Aims for the Treaty of Versailles © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 8  Your notes An illustration showing a summary of the Big Three’s differing aims for the Treaty of Versailles Due to their different motives, the Big Three all had different aims for the Treaty of Versailles: Georges Clemenceau wanted a harsh treaty that included: High reparations The protection of France’s borders The splitting of Germany into states Germany disbanding its armed forces to prevent another invasion The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France Giving France the rich industrial area in Germany known as the Saar Basin to rebuild its economy Germany giving its overseas colonies to France © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 9  Woodrow Wilson wanted a soft treaty that included: The creation of independent states like Poland that had access to the sea Your notes The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France The end of Germany’s empire and the weakening of all empires Avoiding blaming Germany for the start of the First World War. This included not making Germany pay high reparations The inclusion of all nations, including Germany, in the League of Nations Freedom of the seas. Wilson believed that trading ships should have access to any waters without fear of attack David Lloyd George wanted a fair treaty, somewhere between Wilson's and Clemenceau’s vision. His treaty would include: Retaining a strong trading relationship with Germany Taking Germany’s overseas colonies Harsh enough terms to satisfy the British desire for revenge. Lloyd George had just won an election on the promise that he would ‘make Germany pay’ Germany keeping its military strength to prevent communism from Russia spreading into Europe A reduction in Germany’s navy to reinforce Britain’s naval supremacy How different were the aims of the Big Three for the Treaty of Versailles? Clemenceau Wilson Lloyd George Military aims Harsh Soft Moderate Territorial aims Harsh Moderate Moderate Political and economic aims Harsh Soft Moderate Worked Example Describe Clemenceau’s demands at the beginning of the peace negotiations 4 marks Answers: Clemenceau wanted to weaken Germany (1). He demanded that Germany’s armed forces be disbanded (1). Clemenceau insisted that Germany should pay reparations © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 10 for the damage it caused to France in the war (1). Clemenceau wanted Alsace-Lorraine to be returned to France (1). Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks For a ‘Describe’ question, you should aim to complete the question in four minutes, one minute per point. This will give you one minute to read through your answer. © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 11  Compromises by the Big Three at Versailles Your notes Terms of the Treaty of Versailles The Military Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Article Description of Term Impact on Germany Number 42 The Rhineland (an area in Western Germany was not allowed to have Germany that bordered France) soldiers in the Rhineland. This became demilitarised. Allied troops made them vulnerable to an were stationed there until 1930 invasion from France 160 Germany’s army was restricted to Many ex-soldiers became 100,000 men unemployed 181 Germany’s navy was restricted to six Germany became weaker. They battleships and could not have could not develop the military submarines technology that other countries had 198 Germany was not allowed to have an air force The Territorial Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Article Description of Term Impact on Germany Number 45 France was given the area of the Saar, Germany lost 15% of their coal with its coalfields, for 15 years resources. This affected their economy 51 Alsace-Lorraine became a part of Germany did not have a buffer France again between themselves and France any more 80 Anschluss (the union between Germany Austria was a part of Germany’s and Austria) was forbidden cultural identity. Many Austrians considered themselves to be German 87 Germany lost Posen and West Prussia, The ‘Polish Corridor’ divided which allowed the Allies to create a Germany into two. Roughly one © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 12  ‘Polish Corridor’. This gave Poland million Germans came under Polish access to the sea rule Your notes 199 France and Britain ruled all 11 of Germany’s reputation as a global Germany’s colonies in Africa and the power was destroyed. They had Far East as mandates fewer items to trade with other countries The Political and Economic Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Article Description of Term Impact on Germany Number 1-26 The League of Nations was created, but Germany felt excluded from world Germany was not allowed to join politics. They were more likely to resort to violence to resolve disputes 231 The ‘War Guilt’ Clause. Germany had to This clause created the most anger agree that they started the First World among the German population. War. The clause made Germany accept They felt it was unfair to take all of responsibility for the deaths and the blame for the atrocities caused destruction during wartime by the First World War 232 Germany would have to pay the Allies This amount would be enough to reparations as a condition of their bankrupt Germany, especially as surrender. The amount was set at 132 the territorial terms reduced their billion gold marks (£6.6 billion). ability to trade Germany had until 1980 to pay the debt Worked Example Why were the German people unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles? 6 marks Partial answer: One reason why the German public was unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles was because of the amount of reparations that Germany was expected to pay (1). The Treaty of Versailles demanded that Germany pay 132 billion gold marks or £6.6 billion to the Allies (1). This created unhappiness in Germany because this amount was considered to be far too high (1). The amount was enough to bankrupt Germany, affecting the prosperity of the German people (1). © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 13  Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks In Paper One, ‘explain why’ questions are worth either six or ten marks. For full marks in this question, an examiner is looking for two fully explained reasons as to why the German people were unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles. Use the PEE structure in your answer: P - Make a point about the question E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made E - Explain why this evidence caused unhappiness in Germany. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the German people to be unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles The Compromises Made by the Big Three © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 14  Your notes An illustration showing the conflicts and resolutions between the Big Three © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 15 Areas of Compromise Between the Big Three Your notes Clemenceau Wilson Lloyd George Military Did not believe that Britain’s naval compromises the treaty supremacy meant restricted that Wilson Germany’s army abandoned the idea enough of free navigation of the seas Territorial The Rhineland was Forced to allow Reluctantly agreed to compromises not given to Britain and France to the independence of France. The Allies increase their Eastern European demilitarised the empires nations like Latvia and area Bulgaria Political and Wanted to set the Germany was not Worried about the economic reparation allowed to join the reactions of Germans compromises payments higher League of Nations under the control of France and Poland Examiner Tips and Tricks A question may ask you to explain how far you agree that Wilson was the most satisfied with the Treaty of Versailles. This is a ten-mark question in Paper One. When approaching this style of question, consider: Provide a balanced argument. You should have a minimum of three explanations (two on one side; one on the other) The strength of both sides of the argument. Wilson achieved self-determination for Eastern European countries. However, Wilson had to compromise with Clemenceau and Lloyd George by allowing them to take Germany’s overseas colonies and expand their empires. Therefore, Wilson was not happy as he did not achieve all of his aims for self-determination Concluding your thoughts with a reflection on the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Use words like 'partially' or 'fully' to explain this Why Did the Big Three Have to Compromise? No leader could achieve everything they wanted from the Treaty of Versailles because: Each leader of the Big Three had different aims and motives Each leader had different public pressure © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 16  Britain and France suffered a large amount of casualties during the First World War Your notes Lloyd George had won the 1918 election on the campaign to ‘make Germany pay’ Over two-thirds of the French Army died or were wounded in the First World War. The French wanted to impose severe punishment on Germany The USA did not want revenge on Germany because they had not suffered as much in the First World War They joined the war in 1917, much later than the other Allied countries No fighting occurred on US soil The USA suffered less in terms of casualties Before entering the First World War, the USA gave loans to Allied countries At the end of the conflict, the USA began to recall its loans The repayments made the US economy boom © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 17  What was the Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany? Your notes The 'Diktat' The Treaty of Versailles took force on 10th January 1920 Many Germans argued that the Weimar Republic should not have signed the Treaty of Versailles They believed that German politicians committed a ‘dolchstoss’ - or a ‘stab in the back’ The politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles were called ‘November Criminals’. This was because November was the month the government signed the armistice Many Germans felt humiliated and weaker than the rest of Europe German people and politicians called the treaty a ‘diktat’ German representatives were not allowed to attend the peace talks Germany had to accept the terms of peace otherwise the Allies would take control of the country What Sections of the Treaty of Versailles Angered the German People? Area of the Why did this anger the German people? treaty The War Guilt The German public did not think it was fair that they had to take all of Clause the blame for the First World War. Other countries were planning for war in the 1910s Restrictions on The armed forces were a source of pride for the German people. armed forces Many Germans felt humiliated and vulnerable to attack. They were bitter that the rest of Europe was not forced to disarm Reparations Many Germans believed that the reparations were set too high. Germany had already been financially ruined by the First World War. From 1922, Germany could not pay its reparations bill Territorial losses The Treaty of Versailles placed German citizens under the rule of other countries. Many Germans felt that the Allies had taken away their cultural identity Rise of Extremism: The Kapp Putsch © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 18  The Spartacist Revolt in January 1919 came close to overthrowing the new Republic The Weimar Republic used the Freikorps to stop the communist uprising Your notes The Freikorps was a right-wing group They were armed ex-soldiers who became unemployed after the Treaty of Versailles restricted the German Army In March 1920, President Ebert planned to disband the Freikorps units in Berlin 5,000 Freikorps members and their leader, Wolfgang Kapp, attempted to overthrow the government in a putsch Kapp and the Freikorps invited the Kaiser back to govern Germany Many of the lower classes would not support the Kaiser returning to Germany They had achieved more rights and freedoms since the Kaiser’s abdication The workers, with the Weimar government’s encouragement, called for a general strike Berlin lost gas, electricity and water supplies There was no public transportation After four days, Kapp left Berlin The Freikorps continued to cause issues in the Weimar Republic after the Kapp Putsch Within the first three years of the Weimar Republic, there were 376 political assassinations In August 1921, two members of the Freikorps shot and killed Matthias Erzberger. Erzberger signed the armistice Occupation of the Ruhr In December 1922, France accused Germany of not sending the amount of coal required by the Treaty of Versailles French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr in January 1923 The soldiers seized coal, manufactured products and machinery Chancellor Cuno urged the coal workers to use passive resistance The workers: Went on strike Sabotaged machinery The French responded by bringing their own workers into the Ruhr The Weimar government could not force the soldiers out of the Ruhr because the Treaty of Versailles: Restricted Germany’s army to 100,000 men © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 19  The French had 750,000 soldiers Contained terms that legalised France’s actions The French occupation of the Ruhr destroyed Germany’s economy because the Your notes Weimar government: Insisted on paying wages to the striking workers Began importing coal from other countries to meet demand Could not provide factories with enough coal Germans experienced shortages in everyday items. This increased the prices of these products Hyperinflation, 1923 The term inflation means the increase in prices Inflation happens in an economy over time For example, a loaf of bread in January 1971 cost 10p. The average price of bread in January 2023 was £1.06 Inflation is measured as a percentage Hyperinflation is when prices rise rapidly and become out of control Wages struggle to match the cost of living In extreme cases, a country’s currency loses its monetary value Examiner Tips and Tricks Inflation can be a tricky concept to understand, especially how it can cause money to lose all its value. Imagine that you have a rare diamond necklace. It would cost a lot of money to purchase the necklace because it is so rare. Now imagine that someone made 100 more diamond necklaces. The necklace is now not as rare, meaning it would not be worth as much as it was previously. Applying this concept to money, the more currency there is in circulation, the less it is worth. As a result, printing money can limit the impact of inflation but overprinting money can be dangerous to an economy. To pay the striking Ruhr workers and purchase coal, the Weimar government decided to print more money In 1923, there were 300 paper mills and 2,000 printers whose sole purpose was to print currency The decision to print an excessive amount of money caused the hyperinflation crisis By November 1923, the German currency (the mark) had become worthless Some workers received pay twice a day so they could purchase essential goods before their wages became worthless © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 20  People filled wheelbarrows full of money to buy a loaf of bread Causes and Consequences of Hyperinflation Your notes A diagram illustrating the causes and consequences of hyperinflation Worked Example Study Source A. How useful is this source to a historian studying the Treaty of Versailles? Explain your answer using details from the source and your knowledge 7 marks Source A: A satirical cartoon by German cartoonist Erich Schilling in 1921 entitled “The monstrosity of the Paris Conference”. The bottom caption reads “If only she didn't crush her parents!” © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 21  Your notes Partial answer: Source A is useful to a historian studying the Treaty of Versailles (1). This is because it shows a typical view of how the German public felt about the Treaty. The cartoonist, Erich Schilling, the drew the Treaty of Versailles as a monster on top of skulls (1). The German public believed that the 132 billion marks reparations bill set in the treaty would ruin their economy and, as a result, their lives (1). The occupation of the Ruhr and the resulting hyperinflation crisis of 1923 proved that Schilling was correct in being afraid of the treaty’s ability to destroy people’s lives (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks Exam tip All sources are, in some way, useful for a historian. To achieve full marks for this question, you need to comment on the nature, origin and purpose of the source Nature - The source is a cartoon produced in 1921. Cartoons are useful for understanding the zeitgeist, or the mood of the time. A limitation of cartoons as historical sources is that events are often exaggerated © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 22  Origin - The cartoonist is from Germany. He is likely to have a negative view of the Treaty of Versailles. Therefore, the source is typical of the period Purpose - Cartoons are often drawn to entertain or to provide an opinion. Your notes Consider key events in Germany before 1921 that would motivate Schilling to produce this image This method of source analysis ensures you are using details from the source and your own knowledge in your answer. Rise of Extremism: The Munich Putsch Causes of the Munich Putsch Long-term Mid-term Short-term The people were angry Mussolini, the fascist leader The French invasion of the with the Weimar of Italy, inspired Hitler. Ruhr caused many government from its Mussolini led his successful shortages of goods in beginnings. The Treaty of ‘March on Rome’ in 1922. He Germany Versailles in 1919 was a implemented a putsch using ‘dolchstoss’ for many his paramilitary force Germans From 1920, the NSDAP was The hyperinflation crisis growing in popularity in reached its worst state Munich and Bavaria towards the end of 1923. People resented the Weimar government for how they handled the crisis In November 1923, Hitler decided that the Nazi Party was ready to take control of Germany The putsch relied upon the support of Kahr, Seisser and Lossow These were key officials in Bavaria Hitler knew that, if he established control of Bavaria, it would be easier for him to take over Berlin What Happened in the Munich Putsch? The Munich Putsch failed and Hitler was arrested for high treason © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 23  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 24  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 25  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 26  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 27  Your notes © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 28  A storyboard about the Munich Putsch Your notes Causes and Consequences of the Munich Putsch A flow diagram to show the causes and consequences of the Munich Putsch © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 29  Justification for the Treaty of Versailles Your notes The Post-War Treaties Four other treaties created the Versailles Settlement. These are: The Treaty of St Germain The Treaty of Neuilly The Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Sevres Representatives of each country were forced to sign the treaty The Treaty of St Germain Date Format Terms Impacts September The Allies' Ending of the Land given to 1919 dictated Austro-Hungarian Czechoslovakia housed peace treaty empire most of Austria’s industry with Austria Loss of land to Austria experienced a Hungary, financial crisis in 1921 Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia Never paid reparations Anschluss with The small states created Germany forbidden from the old Austro- Hungarian empire caused Austria limited to conflict and instability in 30,000 troops Eastern and Central Europe Reparations Accept blame for starting the First World War Recognition of the League of Nations Examiner Tips and Tricks An exam question could ask you why the Treaty of St Germain was important. In Paper One, this would be worth 6 marks. You would have to fully explain two reasons why the treaty was important using the PEE structure: © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 30  P - Make a point about the question E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made E - Explain why this evidence caused the treaty to be important. Avoid repeating Your notes the point again. For example, the treaty ended the Austro-Hungarian empire, which had been one of the most powerful empires before the First World War. Apply these skills to any of the treaties mentioned below The Treaty of Neuilly Date Format Terms Impacts November The Allies' Loss of land to Loss of access to 1919 dictated peace Yugoslavia, Greece and the Aegean Sea treaty with Romania Bulgaria The Allies cancelled Recognise the existence 75% of Bulgaria’s of the Kingdom of reparation bill Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Bulgaria continued to claim their right Bulgaria limited to to Macedonia 20,000 troops Continued unrest in Reparations set at £100 the Balkans million Accept blame for starting the First World War Recognition of the League of Nations The Treaty of Trianon Date Format Terms Impacts June The Allies' Ending of the Austro- The collapse of its 1920 dictated peace Hungarian empire economy, which resulted treaty with in not paying reparations Hungary Loss of two-thirds of its land and a third of The treaty forced many its population ethnic Hungarians, called Magyars, out of Hungary Hungary limited to 35,000 troops Conflict within Hungary during the 1920s Reparations Accept blame for starting the First World War © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 31  Recognition of the League of Nations Your notes The Treaty of Sevres Date Format Terms Impacts August The Allies' Ending of the The people of Türkiye 1920 dictated peace Ottoman Empire threatened to overthrow treaty with the government Ottoman Türkiye Britain and France (Turkey) to take control of The Allies negotiated a new land in the Middle treaty with Türkiye in 1923 East called the Treaty of Lausanne Loss of control of the Dardanelles The new treaty gave Strait, an important Türkiye waterway Land back in Europe Türkiye limited to 50,000 troops Control of the Dardanelles Strait Allied control of Türkiye’s tax system No reparations or and budget restrictions of the army Reparations Accept blame for starting the First World War Recognition of the League of Nations Worked Example What features of the Treaty of Versailles were shared by the other peace treaties of 1919–20? 4 marks Answers: All five of the post-war treaties made countries accept a War Guilt Clause (1). All allies of Germany had an obligation to pay reparations (1). Each losing nation had to restrict its army (1). The defeated countries all lost territory (1). © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 32  Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks Other potential answers to this question include: Recognition of the League of Nations All the treaties were diktats Impact of the peace treaties of 1919-1920 Key Opinions on the Treaty of Versailles © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 33  A map showing how the postwar treaties affected Europe Your notes The Treaty of Versailles can be justified The Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified Some journalists in Britain insisted that Due to economic crashes, Austria’s and Germany could afford the reparations Hungary’s reparations were cancelled. When Germany’s economy collapsed, the Allies reduced but did not stop reparations The French claimed that Germany’s diktat The Treaty of Lausanne undermined the on Russia in 1917, the Treaty of Brest- Treaty of Versailles. It indicated that the Litovsk, was much harsher than the Treaty Allied politicians knew the Versailles of Versailles Settlement was unfair Marshal Foch, the French commander of Some British politicians and journalists the Allied forces, stated that the treaty did believed that the treaty’s terms would cause not protect France from invasion Germany to start another world war Some politicians in the USA believed the The Allies had different motives and aims. treaty was the best solution, given the They were more interested in achieving their political context in 1919 own aims rather than creating a fair treaty Some people in Britain and France Forcing Germans to live under foreign rule thought that the treaty was too lenient. As and its exclusion from the League of Nations long as Germany existed as a country, they isolated Germany. This increased support were still a threat to world peace for extremist groups in Germany Contemporary Opinions of the Treaty of Versailles A cartoon published in a US newspaper, 1921. Germany is saying, ‘Let’s see you collect it.’ © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 34  Your notes Placard for Lloyd's News on 29th June 1919. It is announcing the signing of the Treaty of Versailles “If we aim at the impoverishment of Central Europe, vengeance, I dare say, will not limp. Nothing can then delay for very long the forces of Reaction and the despairing convulsions of Revolution, before which the horrors of the later German war will fade into nothing, and which will destroy, whoever is victor, the civilisation and the progress of our generation.” A quote from the British economist John Maynard Keynes in The Economic Consequences of the Peace (1919) Worked Example Study Sources E and F. Whose account can be trusted more, Wilson’s or House's? Explain your answer using details of the sources and your knowledge. 8 marks Source E: From a speech by President Wilson during a tour across the US, 8 September 1919 I want to say that I did not find any of my colleagues in Paris reluctant to do justice to Germany. But I hear that this treaty is very hard on Germany. When a country has committed a criminal act, the punishment is hard, but the punishment is not unjust. Germany permitted itself, through an unscrupulous government, to commit a criminal act against mankind, and it is to undergo the punishment, not more than it can endure © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 35 but up to the point where it can pay it. But the terms of this treaty will not be fully carried out if any one of the great influences that brought that result about is withheld from its implementation. Every great fighting nation in the world is on the list of those Your notes who are to constitute the League of Nations. I say every great nation, because America is going to be included among them, and the only choice, my fellow citizens, is whether we will go in now or come in later with Germany. Source F: A diary extract from Edward House, a member of the USA's delegation to the Paris Peace Conference June 29, 1919: I am leaving Paris, after eight fateful months, with conflicting emotions. Looking at the conference in retrospect there is much to approve and much to regret. It is easy to say what should have been done, but more difficult to have found a way for doing it… How splendid it would have been had we blazed a new and better trail! However, it is to be doubted whether this could have been done, even if those in authority had so decreed, for the peoples back of them had to be reckoned with. It may be that Wilson might have had the power and influence if he had remained in Washington and kept clear of the Conference. When he stepped from his lofty pedestal and wrangled with representatives of other states upon equal terms, he became as common clay. To those who are saying that the Treaty is bad and should never have been made and that it will involve Europe in infinite difficulties in its enforcement, I feel like admitting it. Partial answer: I believe that House’s account is more trustworthy than Wilson’s (1). This is because of the type of source it is. House was writing in his diary at the time of the Paris Peace Conference. This allowed House to be more honest about his unhappiness with the Versailles Settlement (1). In comparison, Wilson’s source is a speech on his tour of the US. Wilson had to be more positive about the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles to satisfy the American public. Therefore, House is more likely to represent how the US government truly felt about the Treaty of Versailles (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This question would be worth 8 marks in Paper 1. To complete this answer successfully, you should: Evaluate the nature, origin and purpose of both sources Explain how the two sources differ Consider the author of each source and the knowledge of the historical event, in this case, the Treaty of Versailles Come to a conclusion about which source is more trustworthy © 2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at savemyexams.com 36