International Relations,
1919-1939
‘Revision’
Treaty of Versailles - Aims
Everything is a mess in Europe
 Clemenceau wants revenge
 Wilson wants peace and his 14 points,
including LoN
 Lloyd George wants decent compromise
to avoid war, but British people want
vengeance! (we lost a lot of men)
 Case for treating harshly strengthened
by how Germany treated Russia in
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – stripped
Russia of land and 25% population.
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Disagreements and Compromises
Wilson has to give way to Clemenceau on
issues of Rhineland and coalfields in the
Saar.
 Lloyd George ok with treating Germany
leniantly – but does not want Germany
to have any navy or colonies
 Point 2 of 14 points gives access to all
seas – this angers DLG – Britain rules
the waves!
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The Treaty itself
War Guilt
 Reparations – £6,600 million
 German Territories and Colonies
stripped
 Armed forces – army of 100,000. No
conscription. No armoured vehicles,
planes or submarines. Only six
battleships. Rhineland demilitarised.
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German reaction to the Treaty
Lost 10 percent of land, all overseas
colonies, 12.5% population and 16%
coalfields, with over half of iron and
steel industry.
 Outrage over War Guilt – did not feel
they had started the war!
 Did not understand the defeat – had
been kept in dark about how bad things
were.
 Also – treatment not consistent with 14
points, which gave self-determination to
many countries – ToV actually put
German-speakers in other countries…
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Impact on Germany:
Ebert’s Government fragile – tips into
chaos when sign in 1919.
 Kapp Putsch – attempt to take over. Put
down by Berlin workers’ strike.
 1923 – French troops occupy Rhineland,
forcibly taking the reparations – kill 100
people, eject 100,000 protesters.
 Government prints more money – leads
to Hyperinflation – very bad.
 Germans blamed the Treaty.
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Reactions
Clemenceau – not harsh enough. Lost
election in 1920
 Lloyd George – hero’s welcome in Britain,
but worried too harsh
 Wilson – v. disappointed. American
Congress refuses to sign.
 LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES – Leads
to the Rise of the Nazis, and to WWII
 Historians kinder now – best job in
circumstances?
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The Other Treaties
Germany’s allies have to pay reparations
 Treaties make Eastern Europe a patchwork of new states.
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BATH – Bulgaria, Austria, Turkey,
Hungary
Treaty of St. Germain 1919
(Austria)
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Austria separated from Hungary. Austria no longer
a leading power.
Bohenmia and Moravia go to Czechs
Bosnia-Herzegovina go into Yugoslavia w/Serbia.
Army of 30,000 men, forbidden to unite with
Germany again.
More about sorting out Eastern European mess
than about harming Austria.
Italy thoguht should have had more land, but many
Eastern Europeans happy – self detirmination.
Austria’s economy bad – industry now in
Czechoslovakia! Former Austrians annoyed, though
– Austria loses its markets – formerly all in one
Empire, preferential trading. No more.
Treaty of Neuilly, 1919
(Bulgaria)
Bulgaria did well compared to Germany,
Austria and Hungary.
 Lost lands to Greece, Romania and
Yugoslavia, and lost access to
Mediterranean.
 Limit armed forces to 20,000, had to
pay 100 million in reparations.
 Many Bulgarians governed by foreign
powers in 1920… though treaty less
harsh.
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Treaty of Trianon, 1920
(Hungary)
Similar to St. Germain – involves
transfer of territories
 Transylvania goes to Romania
 Slovakia and Ruthenia to Czechs
 Slovenia and Croatia to Yugoslavia.
 Hungary lost lots of territory and 3
million people. Industries suffer – no
population and no raw materials.
 Never paid reparations – no economy!
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Treaty of Sèvres, 1920
(Turkey)
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Turkey important – strategic position, and size of
Empire.
Smyrna to Greece
Syria = Mandate (LoN under French control.
Lost control of Straits into Black Sea
Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco get independence or
controlled by Brits/French
Not successful – Turks outraged, Turkish
nationalists challenged the terms of the treaty –
drove Greeks out of Smyrna. Treaty of Lausanne
(1923) returned to Turkey.
Suspect motives – France and Britian taking the
land! Arabs who helped Brits in war gain little –
Palestine controversial, nothing settled (still not
settled today)
The League of Nations
Wilson wanted a world parliament where
leaders meet regularly
 Britain thought could just get together in
emergencies – similar organisation already
called Conference of Ambassadors
 France wants strong league with its own army.
 Countries doubt people will behave as Wilson
thinks, but willing to give it a try – had enough
of war.
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America does not join, because:
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Trade could be suspended due to LoN sanctions – also
America has to solve international problems no matter
what the cost…
Many German-Americans hated the ToV
Distrust of British/French Empires – why should
America get dragged in to protect Britain’s Empire
and Colonies?
Do not want to lose any more American boys in other
peoples’ wars.
The Democrats had been in power for ages – the
Republicans wanted a chance to defeat them.
Candidate campaigned on ‘Return to Normalcy’ i.e.
return to life before war: ISOLATIONISM.
Aims of the League
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Discourage Aggression from any nation
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Encourage countries to co-operate, especially
in business or trade
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Encourage nations to Disarm
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Improve living/working conditions worldwide.
Membership
USA not in. Britain and France most
important countries.
 YET: B & F weakened by WW1, and
don’t have resources to replace USA.
 Germany not in until 1926, leaves in
1933.
 Japan leaves in 1933
 Italy leaves in 1937
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Structure – Issues with
Assembly – only met once a year, all decisions
had to be unanimous
 The Council – meets more regularly. Smaller
group inc. Britain, France, Italy, Japan. Each
of these permanent members has a veto.
 There are no armed forces – reliant on
members
 Various Commissions and the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) – see your
diagrams
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Remember: League can do three
things
Moral Condemnation – decide which
country is an aggressor and tell them to
stop!
 Economic and financial sanctions –
refuse to trade with aggressor
 Military force – use armed forces of
member countries to stop aggressor.
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How successful was the League in
the 1920s?
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Successes: Upper Silesia & Aaland
Islands, 1921
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Bulgaria 1925
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Mixed fortunes: Corfu.
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Failures: Vilna, Geneva Protocol.
Social Work:
Refugees helped, PoWs sent home.
 Working conditions improved.
 Health Committee beats malaria by
killing mozzies
 Transport – produced international
highway code
 Social prolems – fought drugs trade,
slave labour and forced labour. Also
combatted prostitution.
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Agreements
Locarno Agreements – 1925: Germany
agrees border with France is settled –
last dispute over ToV – Germany joins
LoN in 1926
 Kellog-Briand Pact – Everyone agreed
not to settle arguments by force.
 1929 Young Plan – Reduced Germany’s
reparations payments to manageable
size.
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Was the world safer at end of
1920s?
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Yes – lots of agreements to disarm, LoN
has had some successes
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No – None of it is really effective,
nothing is really agreed. LoN has fatal
weaknesses.
Why was LoN Successful in
1920s?
No-one wants another war – too many
dead.
 Economic recovery – American loans
finance Europe’s recovery.
 More work, more money, more exports,
more pay, happier people, no wars.
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Why did it all go wrong in the
1930s?
IMPORTANT
 Wall Street Crash leads to Depression
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Depression leads to the rise of the
FASCISTS.
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Fascists are angry people who are
aggressive to other countries. This makes
wars more likely.
Depression
Britain has high unemployment and broken economy.
Unwilling to get involved
 USA won’t help economic sanctions if own trading
economy in mess
 Mussolini wants overseas Empire to distract his
people from rubbishness of economy
 Hitler elected in Germany to sort out depression,
basically.
 Japan invades Manchuria for more money.
 France concerned about Hitler, starts building forts
on border.
 DEPRESSION THEREFORE HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
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Two types 10 mk Question on
League
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Biggest problem with the League
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Answer by going through the League’s
issues (what’s wrong with it) and
showing how they made it impossible to
deal with Manchuria & Abyssinia
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Each weakness in turn, with examples
from the Crises
Biggest problem for the League
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Show how the Abyssinian Crisis and
Manchurian Crisis showed up the
weaknesses with the League, leading to
its downfall.
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Tackle each crisis in turn, with examples
of League’s failings.
Manchuria.
Delay – had to send someone to other side
world to look. Full year before present
report. (Organisation/Decisiveness)
 Japan Vetoes resolution against itself, then
leaves.
 Powerless – economic sanctions pointless
without USA (membership)
 Britain and France not going to risk war with
ever-more-powerful Japan. (Lack of Muscle)
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Disarmament
Why did it fail in 1930s?
 Nobody will risk disarming if everyone
else has guns!
 Hitler wants guns back.
 1932 Disarmament Conference.
 Produced resolutions eg. No bombing of
civilians, no gas warfare. BUT NO PLAN
TO ACHIEVE IT.
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Hitler
Britain also kind of feels that Germany
was treated unfairly originally in ToV
 Hitler promises to disarm if everybody
else does. Starts rearming secretly,
1933
 Withdrew from Conference and then
the League later in 1933.
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Abyssinia 1935
Britain and France don’t take seriously –
want to keep good relations with
Mussolini
 Signed treaty in 1935 with Mussolini vs.
Hitler. Silly idea.
 They then decide to get ‘tough’ as public
are annoyed. Much talk of ‘collective
security’ in League – nothing done.
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More weaknesses
SANCTIONS WILL NOT WORK.
 LEAGUE TAKES AGES TO DECIDE TO DO
NOTHING. Worried Americans would nor
support sanctions. Britain concerned will lose
coal exports to Italy.
 Britain and France own Suez Canal – Mussolini
using to supply army. Britain and France could
shut it, but won’t risk war.
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F.A.I.L.U.R.E.
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French and British self-interest. They looked
after their own interests, not the League’s
Absent Powers e.g. USA & USSR
Ineffective Santions
Lack of Armed Forces
Unfair Treaty – ToV to be enforced by LoN,
but many members thought unfair
Reaching decisions too slowly.
Squid
Leage needs to be:
 Strong
 Quick
 United
 Interested
 Decisive
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League fails because of:
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Organisation/Membership
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Lack of Muscle
Appeasement
Why did the Allies follow the
policy of Appeasement?
See anyone you recognise?
1933
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Hitler elected Chancellor of Germany.
Why?
The Great Depression – nobody has jobs,
everybody angry…
‘Stab in the Back’ – betrayed in WWI by
politicians.
Treaty of Versailles still humiliating.
Hitler offers opportunity to make Germany
strong again.
What Did Hitler Want?
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Abolish the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler believed that the Treaty of
Versailles was unjust. Too harsh, a
humiliating reminder of WW1 defeat.
By time he came to power, some terms
had changed – stopped paying
reparations. Hitler aims to overturn the
remaining points of the Treaty,
however.
Expand German Territory
Treaty of Versailles took territory away
from Germany. Hitler wants it back.
 Wants Germany to unite with Austria
 Wants German minorities in countries
such as Czechoslovakia to rejoin
Germany
 Wants Eastern European Empire for
Lebensraum – ‘Living Space’
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Defeat Communism.
Hitler believes that Bolsheviks (Communists)
had helped to bring about Germany’s defeat
(with the Jews. He was nuts)
 He’s a Fascist – a militant, right-wing
Nationalist.
 They like fighting Communists, and really fear
the Soviet Union
 Worried Bolshies will take over Germany.
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Things Hitler does:
Please refer to the Appeasement
revision table in your books – this has all
the key information.
 Overleaf you will find a summary of the
steps of what Hitler did, and which
objectives he was trying to accomplish:
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1933 – Takes Germany out of LoN and
begins rearming Germany – against the
ToV
 1935 – Massive rearmament rally in
Germany – against ToV
 1936 – Troops into Rhineland (against
ToV)
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1936 – Anti-Comintern Pact (alliance of the Fascist
countries, Italy/Germany/Japan, vs. Communists) –
(fighting Communists)
1937 – tries out new German military in Spanish Civil
War (vs. Communists)
1938: Anschluss with Austria (expand Germany, vs. ToV
1938 – Sudetenland taken (anti-ToV, expanding
Germany) (Munich Agreement, 1938)
1939 – Takes rest Czechoslovaia, invades Poland
(expanding Germany, vs. ToV)
Note: Nazi-Soviet Pact signed by Stalin as scared of
Hitler… they divide up Poland and invade together in
September 1939.
Why Appeasement good idea:
Hitler standing up to Communism – should be
encouraged
 Britain’s Empire would not necessarily support war with
Germany
 Too many people died in the last war to risk another
 Depression – everyone’s too poor for another war
 Treaty of Versailles IS unfair, so Hitler has a point
 USA will not support vs. Hitler – isolationist
 ALLOWED BRITAIN TIME TO REBUILD HER ARMED
FORCES, READY FOR WAR AGAINST GERMANY.
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Why Appeasement’s a bad idea:
Encourages Hitler to be aggressive, as he
always gets away with it
 Puts too much trust in Hitler’s promises
 Allowed Germany to grow too strong
 It scared the USSR – they see
France/Britain not acting, and sign NaziSoviet Pact.
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