Treaty of Versailles 1919

1. What does this map show?

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2. Besides the land near Germany like Alsace-Lorraine and West Prussia, which
other territorial possessions did Germany lose as a result of the Treaty of
Versailles?

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3. The Saar was given to France for 15 years. Why was it so important?

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4. What was one of the aims of the allied countries in being so harsh on Germany?

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5. What was the Anschluss?

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6. Name two countries that acquired territories as a result of this treaty.

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7. What does the demilitarised zone mentioned in the map mean?

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8. Which German Chancellor disobeyed the Treaty of Versailles years later?

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9. What was the new Government of Germany called after the First World War?

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10. What problems did this new government face between the Two World Wars?

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11. What was the League of Nations referred to in the map?

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 Reactions to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

How did Britain react to the Treaty? The British had mixed reactions. The general
opinion in Britain was that the terms were fair and should probably have been more
severe. British newspapers suggested that Germany was no longer a threat to world
peace. When Prime Minister David Lloyd George went back to England he was
received as a hero.

How did France react to the Treaty? Reactions in France were also mixed. People
approved of the reparations that Germany had to pay. They also liked the fact that
Germany's borders with France (the Rhineland) would be demilitarised. They
appreciated that the coalmines of the Saar would bring prosperity to France instead of
Germany. They also believed that the League of Nations would be a powerful force for
peace and that it would protect France if Germany recovered and became aggressive
again. Clemenceau still wanted to impose harsher conditions on Germany.

How did the USA react to the Treaty? In the USA reactions were against the Treaty.
Many Americans felt that the Treaty was unfair on Germany. They also believed that
Britain and France were making themselves rich at Germany's expense and that the
USA should not be helping them to do this. American politics were divided at the time.
President Wilson led the Democratic Party. His rivals in the Republican Party used the
Treaty as an opportunity to criticise Wilson. Americans were uneasy about Wilson's
scheme for a League of Nations and they were concerned that belonging to the League
would drag the USA into international disputes that were not their concern. In the end,
the Congress rejected both the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

How did Germany react to the Treaty? Reactions to the Treaty in Germany were very
negative. There were protests in the German Reichstag (Parliament) and out on the
streets. It is not hard to see why Germans were outraged. Germany lost 10% of its
land, all its overseas colonies, 12.5% of its population, 16% of its coal and 48% of its
iron industry. There were also the humiliating terms, which made Germany accept
blame for the war, limit their armed forces and pay reparations.

1. Name the leaders of Britain, France and USA when the Treaty of Versailles was
written.

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2. Mention three decisions taken by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

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3. Fill in the following table so as to show whether there was a positive, a mixed or a
negative reaction to the Treaty of Versailles by every nation.

Country Positive Mixed Negative

4. Why was Germany humiliated by this treaty?

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5. The US Congress rejected both the Treaty of Versailles and the League of
Nations? What were the effects of this decision?

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6. What were the reparations mentioned in the source?

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7. Would you consider the League of Nations to have been successful in keeping
peace in the following years?

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 Effects of First World War

A cartoon with the title ‘Clemenceau the

1. Look carefully at this cartoon. Describe what you are seeing.

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2. Is this cartoon a primary source? How do you know?

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3. . In what way do you think that this cartoon is biased?

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 4. This cartoon was taken from a German newspaper dated 1919. What major
event took place between 1914 and 1918?

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5. Clemenceau was the (German, French, British, Russian) Prime Minister.

6. Why is Clemenceau described as a vampire?

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7. Why was Clemenceau determined to be so harsh on Germany?

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8. Why were the defeated Germans so angry by the Treaty of Versailles?

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9. What effect did the long term causes of the war have on the Treaty of Versailles?

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10. The French believed they had suffered more than Britain and the USA in fighting
Germany. Suggest two reasons for this.

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11. Give one reason why no country could achieve all its aims at the Treaty of
Versailles.

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