The following were 3 main terms of the Treaty of Versailles:

(i)Military terms
(ii)Territorial terms
(iii)War Guilt Clause

Which caused the most resentment among the Germans? Explain your answer. [13]


Introduction:
The Treaty of Versailles was signed at the end of the First World War to restore peace in Europe. However, in doing so, it angered the Germans who not only disliked the terms but were forced to accept them.

Main Body:
The military terms of the Treaty of Versailles humiliated the Germans. Once a European military power, as testified by their ability to fight against the British, the French, the Russians and the USA in the First World War, they were now reduced to a very weak power. They could no longer attack any country, as they were not allowed to have offensive weapons like submarines, tanks and air-force. In fact, with only 100,000 soldiers and Rhineland demilitarised, they probably could not even defend themselves. In other words, the country would experience a sense of insecurity.

The territorial terms angered the Germans in many ways. Firstly, the loss of colonies meant that Germany would no longer be regarded as a Great Power. This was a humiliation. Secondly, the loss of resource-rich areas like the Saar would affect Germany, which would find itself having difficulty in recovering its economy during the postwar period. Finally, the loss of lands to Poland and Czechoslovakia was intolerable, given that these lands were inhabited by Germans. The creation of Poland and Czechoslovakia was based on the concept of self-determination and yet, the Germans were deprived of their rights to self-determination. This was certainly unfair to the Germans.

The War Guilt Clause humiliated the Germans as well when Germany was forced to accept all the blame for starting the First World War. The Germans could not understand why Germany had to accept the entire blame when all the countries were involved in the war. Furthermore, Germany's involvement was due to its need to support its ally, which was the same reason why Russia was involved in the war. The amount of £6.6 billion as reparations was to deepen the sense of injustice among the Germans. Such a large sum of money would only add a heavy burden on the German economy for a long time. Thus, this would cause long-term suffering.

How successful was the League of Nations? Explain your answer. [12]

Introduction:

The League of Nations was set in 1920. Its key aims were to resolve international disputes without war, practice of collective security, promoting disarmament and promoting social and economic co-operation between countries.


Main Body:

The League’s greatest success was in promoting social and economic co-operation between countries. Committees such as the International Labour Organisation and the Health Organisation were set up to improve the welfare of workers and to fight against the spread of diseases. They were quite effective. The League helped millions of refugees to return home after the war. The Health Commission helped to reduce the spread of contagious diseases through international vaccination programmes. The League also managed to reduce the smuggling of cheap labour, opium and dangerous chemicals across international borders. All these fulfilled the aim of promoting social and economic co-operation between countries.

The League had mixed success in resolving international disputes without war. It was successful in resolving some disputes such as the territorial dispute between Finland and Sweden over Aland Island in 1920 and the dispute over Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland in 1921. In both cases, the countries in dispute accepted the League’s decisions and war was avoided. However, the League was helpless in stopping the outbreak of war between Greece and Turkey in 1920-1922. These incidents demonstrated that the League were only able to resolve some conflicts but not all.

In terms of collective security and disarmament, the League failed miserably. In the 1920s, such limitations were already evident. The League did not stop Poland from seizing Vilna from Lithuania in 1920. The League also did nothing to stop France and Belgium from invading Ruhr from Germany. In the 1930s, despite blatant acts of aggression, the League did nothing substantial to deter the aggressors. This was more evident when Japan and Italy were not punished when they invaded Manchuria in 1931 and Abyssinia in 1935 respectively. Disarmament was also a total failure. During the World Disarmament Conference, France refused to disarm, even though it was a key member of the League. As a result, many countries began to rearm, especially Germany. Thus, the League has obviously failed in its aim to promote disarmament and to deter aggressors through collective security.

Was the Treaty of Versailles harsh? Explain your answer. [12]

Introduction:

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to restore peace and order in Europe. Yet the peace established by the treaty only lasted 20 years before the Second World War would break out.


Main Body:

From the perspective of the Germans, the treaty seemed to be very harsh. The terms of the treaty appeared to be aimed at punishing Germany. Firstly, the military restrictions made it almost impossible for the Germans to defend themselves. With no tanks, no air-force, no submarines and only 100,000 soldiers, Germany would be vulnerable. With Rhineland demilitarised as well, Germany would be in a state of insecurity. This was a far cry from the days when Germany was a great military power, as seen in its ability to fight against 3 other major powers during the First World War. Thus, the military restriction was humiliating to many Germans. Secondly, the War Guilt Clause forced Germany to accept the full blame for causing the First World War. This was deemed unfair as all the major powers were involved in the war and Germany was merely fulfilling its obligations to an ally, just like Russia. On top of that, the reparations were set at £6.6 billion. Such a large sum of money would not only prevent Germany from recovering but it would also keep Germany poor for a long time. Thirdly, Germany lost all its colonies, which meant that Germany could no longer claim its position as a Great Power. This was a humiliation. Lands were also given away to Poland and Czechoslovakia. This resulted in many Germans living in foreign countries and thus, they had been deprived of the right to self-determination. All these caused many Germans to view the treaty as an act of revenge rather a peace treaty.

From the perspective of the Allies, the treaty did not appear to be harsh. Firstly, when it was compared with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which Russia signed after surrendering to the Germans, Russia suffered greater losses. For instance, Russia lost 25% of its territories in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk while Germany lost only 13% in the Treaty of Versailles. Russia also lost 80% of its coal mines in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk while Germany only lost 16% in the Treaty of Versailles. Thus, the Allies did not feel that they had been unfair to Germany, considering that the Germans had been harsher to Russia when Russia surrendered. In addition, German conduct during the war had been quite dishonourable. According to the French President, this included the use of poisonous gas and the attack on innocent and unarmed women and children. Therefore, imposing a very restrictive treaty on Germany was seen as a just and fair approach towards the Germans rather than a harsh measure.