Topic 1: The Interwar Years (The

Treaty of Versailles)

The Treaty of Versailles

This cartoon appeared in the German
satirical magazine Simplissimus, 3 June
1919. Identify its message.
 "Classtoon" Analysis
 US President Wilson (left) is explaining.
 French PM Clemeceau is holding the rope (he

wants to kill Germany).

 British PM Lloyd George holds the Treaty

(represents their excuse to 'kill' Germany).

 A figure awaits execution (Germany); he is

bound (terms of the Treaty) and half-naked

(helpless)'
 The message is that the TOV is merely the

means by which the victors intend to destroy

Germany altogether.
The Message?
 Discuss as a class.
 Use evidence from the source.
The Message
 The message of the source is that the Treaty
of Versailles is a way the allies intend to
destroy Germany altogether.

In the source French President Clemenceau is

holding the rope of a guillotine with the other
allied leaders standing by watching Germany
represented by a handcuffed shirtless man
ready to be put in place.
 The End of the World War I

 As the Allies closed in on Germany Kaiser Wilhelm

abdicated on 9 November 1918 and Imperial Germany
became the Republic of Germany.
 11 November1918: Germany surrendered to the Allies
and signed an armistice (cease fighting).
 The German High Command sent a civilian politician to
sign the surrender, so they could distance
themselves from Germany's defeat.
 Elections were held in Germany and a new democratic
government was elected.
 January 1919 a WW1 Peace Conference began at the
Versailles Palace in Paris, France, dominated by the 'Big
Three' victors: USA, France, Britain.
 The End of the World War I

World Leaders Attitude Toward Germany

United States of Woodrow Wilson Seeking a mild peace treaty and

America a more peaceful world

United Kingdom David George Seeking revenge - Moderate

Italy Vittorio Orlando Using Paris Peace Conference to

gain 'lost' land
France Georges Clemenceau Seeking revenge - Severe
 Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Point
Peace Plan

 President Wilson attempted to establish a fair plan

for lasting peace.
 He wanted:
◦ the end of secret treaties;
◦ free trade among nations;
◦ arms reduction;
◦ settlement of colonial claims taking rights of colonised
people into account
◦ leaving occupied territories Eg. Germany to leave France
◦ nationalities to have own states (self-
determination) Eg. Poland
◦ A world organisation to be set up to work for world
peace(League of Nations)
 What Type of Peace Treaty?

 Germany was expecting a peace treaty based on the

14-Point Plan.

 Negotiations among the ‘Big Three’ did not go

smoothly.

 Wilson wanted everlasting peace.

 Clemenceau wanted revenge/severe punishment.

 Lloyd George sided with Wilson, but had an angry

population who also wanted revenge. Being lenient
would likely lose him the next election.
 Versailles Conference
 Germany was not allowed to participate, and
the focus was on punishing Germany.
 The Treaty of Versailles was signed by the
Allies and Germany on 28 June 1919.
 Germany was forced to sign, under threat of
the resumption of war.
 The Germans referred to the Treaty as
a diktat (imposed peace).
 Main Treaty Points
"BRAT"


Blame
◦ Germany had to accept the blame 'for causing all the loss and damage' of the War (Clause
231). Because of this they had to pay:


Reparations
◦ Germany had to pay £6,600 million for damages incurred


Armed forces
◦ Germany was forbidden to have submarines or an air force.
◦ Navy was reduced to six battleships
◦ Army limited to 100 000 men and conscription banned (European armies were often 1 mill in
size)
◦ Germany was not allowed to have troops in the Rhineland


Territory
◦ Germany lost territory in Europe, including Alsace-Lorraine (France); West Prussia (Poland)
and Memel (Lithuania)
◦ Germany forbidden to unite with Austria
 …

 …
 A League of Nations was established
 An organisation formed with the aim of
preventing another war and maintaining
world peace by settling
disputes between nations
through negotiation.
 Germany not permitted

to join.
What is the message of this cartoon?
In all, Germany lost:
 10% land area.
 all overseas colonies.
 12% of its population now no longer lived

within Germany's borders.

 16% of its coalfields.
 half its iron and steel industry.
 much of its army and navy.
 all its air force.
 this impacted on its ability to pay the

reparations demanded by the Treaty.

Article Number Description
1-26 League of Nations. Germany not allowed to join.

42 The Rhineland was demilitarised - the German army was

not allowed to go there.
45 The Saar, with its rich coalfields, given to France for 15
years.
51 Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.
80 Germany forbidden to unite with Austria.
87 Lands in eastern Germany - the rich farmlands of Posen
and the Polish corridor between Germany and East
Prussia - given to Poland.
119 All Germany's colonies taken and given to France and
Britain as 'mandates'.
231 Germany was responsible for causing all the loss and
damage caused by the war
232 Germany would have to pay reparations, to be decided
English newspaper, May 1919, (Der
Tag – The Day)
 Versailles: The impact on
Germany
 Some of Germany’s wealthiest territories were taken.

 Significant number of Germans now living in non

German territory.

 They had a significant debt to repay.

 With the cutting of the army 2.9 million soldiers were

suddenly unemployed.

 Sinking of the Germany Navy so the British wouldn’t get the

vessels.

 The terms were dictated to Germany – known as the ‘diktat’

 Versailles – German Reaction

 The Germans were unhappy with what they

considered to be the harsh conditions of the treaty.

 Rioting in the streets.

 Some rebellion in the army.

 Sinking of the Navy so the British wouldn’t get the

vessels.
Reaction Explanation
Resented unfairly treatment No part in the Conference talks
Forced to sign an unexpected peace treaty

Resented guilt clause ‘Such a confession in my mouth would be a lie’,

said Count Brockdorff-Rantzau.

Resented military limitations Meant Germany could not defend itself against
even small countries

Resented reparations A humiliation

Made Germany poorer - took farm land (W
Prussia) and industrial land (Saar).

Resented not being allowed to An insult

join League of Nations meant that Germany could not defend itself in
the League of Nations.

Resented the forbidding of Was against the principle of self-determination.

 Versailles – Long Term

 The treaty caused much domestic resentment and hardship in

paying the reparations to the Allies.

 Contributed to the myth that Germany had not actually been

defeated by the Allies (as it had not been invaded) and had
, only surrendered because it had been 'stabbed in the
back' by Jews, Communists, pacifists and democrats wanting
to destroy Germany who had also signed the Treaty.

 This created the political conditions in Germany for ‘right wing’

political groups such as the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler.

 These political groups sought ‘justice’ for their ‘wrongs’ – and

set the conditions for World War II.
 A 1919 postcard showing a stereotypical image of a Jew
stabbing a German Army soldier in the back with a dagger.
Key Policies from the Nazi Party 25
Point Program, 1920
(1) We demand the unification of all Germans
in the Greater Germany.
(2) We demand equality of rights for the
German people in respect to other nations;
and cancellation of the peace Treaty of
Versailles.
(3) We demand land and territory to provide
food and living space for our people.
(4) Only a member of the race can be a citizen.
A member of the race can only be one who is
of German blood. No Jew can be a member of
the nation.
 Extract from a speech by Adolf
Hitler on 17 April 1923
"With the armistice begins the humiliation of Germany. If the
Republic on the day of its foundation had appealed to the country:
Germans, stand together! Up and resist the foe! The Fatherland,
the Republic expects of you that you fight to your last breath then
millions who are now enemies of the Republic would be fanatical
Republicans...This Republic was founded at the moment when
Germany was humiliated, because it so discredited the new flag
that men's eyes must turn regretfully toward the old flag. So long
as this Treaty [of Versailles] stands there can be no resurrection of
the German people; no social reform of any kind is possible! The
Treaty was made in order to bring 20 million Germans to their
deaths and to ruin the German nation.
As its foundation our [Nazi] Movement formulated three demands:
1. Setting aside of the Peace Treaty. 2. Unification of all Germans.
3. Land and soil to feed our nation…
An anvil we are today, and that anvil will be beaten until out of the
anvil we fashion once more a hammer, a German sword!"
 Historian Klaus Fischer
The rise of Nazism was due to special
circumstances within a sixty-year span –
anti-Semitism, nationalism, imperialism,
defeat in war, the Versailles Treaty, the
vindictive attitude of the Western powers,
catastrophic economic circumstances,
Germany's unstable political institutions and
parties, the short-sightedness of President
Hindenburg and his conservative clique, and
the charismatic genius of Adolf Hitler.
 Extract from a speech Adolf Hitler made to the
German Parliament after becoming Leader,17
May 1933
"All the problems which are causing such unrest today lie in the
deficiencies of the Treaty of Versailles which did not succeed in solving
in a clear and reasonable way the questions of the most decisive
importance for the future. Neither national nor economic—to say
nothing of legal—problems and demands of the nations were settled by
this treaty... It is therefore natural that the idea of revision is not only
one of the constant accompaniments of the effects of this treaty, but
that it was actually foreseen as necessary by the authors of the Treaty
and therefore given a legal foundation in the Treaty itself….
…The idea that the economic extermination of a nation of sixty-five
millions would be of service to other nations is absurd. Any people
inclined to follow such a line of thought would, under the law of cause
and effect, soon experience that the doom which they were preparing for
another nation would swiftly overtake them...
… The millions of German unemployed are the final result of this
development…
The Treaty of Versailles is to blame for having inaugurated a period in
which financial calculations appear to destroy economic reason."
1939 Nazi Party
poster entitled:
"Victory over
Versailles",
illustrating how the
Nazis would destroy
the limiting
conditions set out in
the Treaty of
Versailles.
"We will be concerned day and night with
the question of how to produce armed
forces...forbidden us by the Treaty of
Versailles.
...we have never recognised this
treaty...we will take every step which
strengthens our arms...and we will dash
anyone to pieces who should dare hinder
us in this undertaking“ Adolf Hitler 1929
Speech