Germany 1918 – 1924.

GSCE Revision.

Break it down…..

• Versailles & Weimar.

• The Depression & Hitler’s Rise to Power.

• The Consolidation of Power.

• Life in Nazi Germany.

• Germany During WWII.

On a Need to Know Basis…

• Who was there & what they wanted?

• What was decided?

• What were the reactions to the Treaty?

The ‘BIG THREE’ were the main people

Wilson – USA

Lloyd George – UK

Clemenceau – France

Germany NOT invited.

WILSON - wanted a ‘Fair’ peace – main

priority was the League of Nations.

Clemenceau – A ‘Harsh’ peace. To make Germany

pay!!!

Lloyd George – ‘Fair’ peace & Germany to begin trading again.

                                      

                                                                                                                                                                     

                                      

Even thought he Allies wanted peace, many people also thought that the decisions they made were influenced by their own interests.

Image from: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html

• Blamed for starting the war.

• League of Nations to be set up.

• Armed forces.

• Money/Reparations.

• Existing land reduced.

Germany were ‘BLAMED’ for starting the

war. This was called the ‘war guilt’ clause.

It was numbered 231. They had to accept

responsibility for starting the war.

If the Allies made them sign this they would

be justified in making a harsh peace.

League of Nations.

This was Wilson’s idea – to set up an

‘international police force’ to keep world

peace.

Germany was not allowed to join.

Armed Forces.

The German army was reduced to 100, 000

men. The navy was also reduced – 6 warships

and no submarines. No air force was allowed.

The army was so small it could not defend

Germany if she was attacked.

Money – Reparations - Compensation.

Germany had to ‘pay’ for the damage caused.She signed a blank cheque at Versailles becausethey did not decide the amount. This happenedin 1921.

The amount that was set was £6,600 million(£6.6 billion).

Existing land was reduced.

The Allies weakened Germany so that she would never start another war. They did this by taking her land from her. Two of the most important decisions were that Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France and that Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria.

How Did the Germans Feel?

Angry, bitter, hurt, disappointed.

Many Germans felt humiliated. They thought that

they had been unfairly treated. They had signed the

Treaty based on Wilson’s 14 Points. The 14 Points

had not been taken up. The treaty was called the

‘Diktat’ – dictated peace.

Germany Exam Paper.

• 1 Hour in length.

• Section A deals with ‘Evidence’. Spend 30 minutes on it.

• Section B – Factual, a choice. Spend 30 minutes on it.

• There will be hints in Section A for B.

• Never leave anything blank.

Section A.

• Hardest on the paper as it deals with evidence. Always the ‘same’.

• A = 3 marks. Something from the source, something from your own knowledge.

• B = 4 marks. 2 things from the source, 2 things from your own knowledge.

• C = 5 marks. Always usefulness. Follow the formula.

• D = 8 marks. Always a quote, tests reliability, memory and attribution.

Question A.

What does source A tell

us about the German

reaction to the Treaty of

Versailles? [3]

Something from the source, something from your own knowledge.

Question B.

According to Source B,

how was Germany

affected by the Treaty of

Versailles? [4]

Source B.

A simplistic view of the Treaty of Versailles. The Allies dealt with a number of things. They reduced the army, made Germany pay reparations, took away her land.

KS3 School History Book

Question C.

How useful is this

source to a historian

studying the German

feelings of unfairness of

the Treaty of Versailles?

[5]

Through the door appear 6 soldiers in single file…2 German representatives. The silence is terrifying…2000 staring eyes…they are deathly pale, it is all very painful.

Clemenceau says ‘we are here to sign a Treaty of Peace.’ We kept our seats while the Germans were led like prisoners from the dock.

Harold Nicholson, 1919, British representative at Versailles.

Source D.

The reparations Germany had to

pay was not much. In the 6 yrs.

Before World War Two Hitler

spent 7 times as much rearming

the country. In 1919 a strong

Germany was left surrounded by

small states…

Etienne Mantoux a French Historian 1945.

In source D, the author is

suggesting that the

Treaty of Versailles was

fair and the Germans

chose not to stick to it.

Is this interpretation a

fair one?

Key Events from Versailles to Munich.

• Uprisings in Germany after the end of

WWI. The country is near to Civil War.

• Problems of the Weimar Constitution.

• Invasion of the Ruhr.

• Munich Putsch.

War ends.

Treaty signed. Uprisings in

Berlin.

Reparations figure decided.

Germany misses her 2nd

reparations payment

French invade Ruhr. Hyper-inflation sets in.

Stresemann begins to get

Germany ‘back on track’

END