paris peace treaties - big 3

• an idealist

• open diplomacy, respect, world peace

• established 14 points

• plebiscites in disputed areas

• mandates to be created out of Germany’s former colonies

• leave Germany as a strong central European power (so it would not later seek revenge, don’t treat her harshly)

Minimum

World disarmament

Everyone accepts partial blame

Everyone should be allowed to join from the outset

• self determination in formation of new states (Poland, Latvia)

• strengthen democracy in defeated nations so they later prevent their leaders from beginning another war

• a fair and lasting peace settlement

• self determination had been used for East Prussia, Upper Silesia

• Most of Clemenceaus worst demands had been rejected, Rhineland remained part of Germany

• Allowed Germany to keep trading with the US

• independent Poland created

• idea of LON had been accepted

• failed to get all 14 points as a basis for treaty because GB and France had both been badly affected by the war, they weren’t as keen on the points

• LG resisted freedom of seas point, Wilson the idealist was up against two pragmatists who wanted the best for their respective countries

• didn’t want heavy economic penalties, GC wasn’t convinced

• GB and France took some of Germanys colonies

• no general disarmament, only for defeated countries

• LG: kept changing his mind, under pressure by the British public but didn’t want Germany to be too weak, made him difficult to deal with

• GC: wanted too harsh of a treaty, under pressure from French public

• pragmatist

• realist & intelligent

• needs Germany as a trading partner

• post war, berates Germany “Hang the Kaiser”

• take Germany’s colonies

• leave mainland Germany as a strong central European power

Moderate, not too severe so he could begin re-trading w her

• Moderate disarmament of Germany ONLY

• Britain to join Germany Dreadnoughts

Germany accepts entire blame

Germany allowed to join as soon as she has proven to be peace loving

• His aims were a mix of the forward-looking concerns outlined in the Fontainebleu Memorandum (called for a peace based on justice that would not provoke future wars) and his election promises in December 1918

• many of his aims were very contradictory

• stop German threats to British empire

• wanted British empire to remain supreme around the world

• for Germany to lose navy & colonies = threat

• ensure France doesn’t become too powerful

• no overly harsh treatment of Germany, may lead to future problems domestically & internationally

• didn’t want Germany to be charged more than she can pay in reparations, yet added all war pensions to the bill, which made the sum massive

• reparations weren’t as extreme as France wanted

• free navigation of seas abandoned

• pleased to extend British Empire

• Germany strong enough to stop spread of communism

• treaty too harsh

• German speaking countries under rule of others

• WW: unhappy with open sea point, self-determination threatening to British Empire

• CG: too harsh

• PM of France

• Vengeful (invasion of France by Germans 1870, 1914)

• hard tough politician

• wants to destroy Germany

• realist, knew he would be forced to compromise but had to demonstrate awareness of French public opinion

• break up Germany into states, like 1871

• share out colonies and territories amongst winners (mainly France)

• Saar, Rhineland, Alsace Lorraine to France

Massive

• Massive disarmament of Germany only

• France to gain resources of land army

Germany accepts entire blame

• Germany banned from LON

• LON should be a police force to control her

• weaken Germany both economically and militarily

• Germany to suffer

• revenge (invasion of France by Germany 1917)

• ensure Germany would not attack France again by taking land, weakening industry and reducing armed forces

• terms of treaty made Germany economically weak

• Rhineland was demilitarised

• Germanys overseas territories under LON control

• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France

• use of coal mines of Saar basin

• France made some material gains, French public was pleased

• Felt that some of Frances eastern borders still weren’t secure

• wanted more severe Reparations

• Germany not split into states

• failed to get Saar permanently

• Germany wasn’t permanently disarmed

• French public displeased, led to Clemenceau’s government being overthrown and his political career ending

• France had expected that the TOV would be backed up by a permanent peacetime alliance with the USA and the UK, this would be Frances main security pillar, this alliance failed to materialise, leaving France to face a Germany that still had a larger population and economy than itself

• WW was very hard to work with, agreed w him in public for peace

• disagreed abt Saar and Rhineland

• even God only had 10 commandments

• LG + WW disagreed on severity of punishment for Germany