Mr Andrew Morel
BA, MA, PGCE, MEd
Ysgol Uwchradd Llanidloes High School
History AS Spring 2024 Sessions:
Peace Treaties
The armistice did nothing but end the fighting. The peace settlement was to follow.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking the only Peace Treaty was the Treaty of Versailles. There are 5 main Treaties:
Peace Treaties
Treaty of St. Germain - 1919 Signed between the allies and Austria. Officially split Austria and Hungary in two and article 88 prevented it from joining with Germany. Article 177 saw them accept war guilt and their army limited to just 30,000 ‘volunteers’ with no navy. Austria went bankrupt before reparations were set. | Treaty of Triannon – 1920 Signed between allies and Hungary. Hungary to pay reparations for war damage, to limit its army to 35,000 men. Hungary was to hand over ¾ of its territory and 60% of its people to make independent countries and give to Austria. |
Treaties of Sevres and Lausanne – 1920 Signed between allies and Turkey (main country of Ottoman Empire). Give up all claims to non-Turkish territory, or limiting their control. They also changed control of the seas around Turkey more in Greece’s favour. | Treaty of Rapallo- 1920 Signed between Germany and USSR to supersede the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Both countries gave up war reparation claims, they normalised diplomatic relation and secretly set up military collaboration. |
Revision TASK
Peace Treaties: Which country faired worse?
Part of Treaty | Treaty of Versailles (1919) | Did any other of the four other treaties have harsher articles? |
Loss of Land | Alsace-Lorraine, colonies, Rhineland demilitarised | |
Armed Forces | Army 100,000 men, navy 6 battleships, no air force | |
Reparation payments | 132 billion marks (£6,600 million) | |
Blame | Article 132 blamed Germany for WW1 | |
Locarno Spirit 1925-1929
The League of Nations:
‘’In the 1920s the League of Nations, based at Geneva, established itself as an international organisation capable of resolving disputes between minor powers and promoting a wide range of humanitarian and economic activities. It was a useful talking shop and its meetings provided good opportunities for statesmen to meet and discuss. It evoked enthusiastic support particularly in Britain. The British public came to believe, naively, that the League could solve peacefully all the world’s problems. The important questions of the day were settled by the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Italy, and (after 1926) Germany. While the League was capable of resolving disputes between minor powers, it was unable to deal with the aggressive actions of its leading members (for example Italy’s seizure of Corfu in 1923).’’
What were the positives of the League?
The Locarno Spirit 1925-1929
This era, spanning the early 1920s up to 1930 is one where significant international changes occurred so as to give real hope of peace and reconciliation.
Under German Chancellor Gustav Stresseman Germany was accepted back in to the international fold through its promises to respect international agreements. This included being allowed to join the League of Nations in 1926.
The Locarno Spirit 1925-1929
Kellogg Briand Pact 1928:
The principle of a war only justifiable by ‘self-defence’ came about as a result of this conference.
War could not be justified for any other reason
With it the German borders were settled, as Stresemann was willing to accept the Treaty of Versailles's territorial claims in exchange for international stability (balance of power).
“great work of peace has been done. It would not have been successful if all the nations who attended had not all been as keen as they all were to make it work....we start a new chapter of international relations!”
The Locarno Treaties, 1925
The Locarno agreements were greeted with terrific enthusiasm. Austen Chamberlain, the British Foreign Minister who was at the meetings in Locarno, said
The Locarno Spirit 1925-1929
Disarmament
Hoped would be the inevitable next step from this enhanced international conversation and co-operation.
Washington Naval Conference on disarmament, 1921 was one example which saw USA, Britain, France and Japan all agree to limit the size of their navies. This was hoped….it would lead to more! However, this is as far as it got.
A World Disarmament conference met in 1932 with 60 nations represented. It was impossible to find a compromise between fairness on Germany and French security and failed
The failure of disarmament was particularly damaging to the League’s reputation in Germany. Germany had disarmed, but not other country had done.
This led many people to suggest the Locarno Spirit was just an illusion of peace
The League of Nations- failures
Appeasement: Britain and France were prepared to do deals without consulting the League.
Membership: Less than half of the world were members incl. USSR and USA.
Military Sanctions: the League did not have its own army to back up its decisions.
Treaty of Versailles: The League was expected to enforce the Peace Treaties which were considered unfair.
Economic sanctions: Were difficult to enforce as aggressors could buy from non-members.
Self interest: Britain, France, Japan and Italy were prepared to put their national interests first.
Abyssinia – Failure of the League of Nations
Italian dictator, Mussolini wanted to get more power by extending his empire so decided to invade Abyssinia (Ethiopia today) in 1935.
Recognising that an invasion would sour relations with France and Britain he justified his actions on the basis of skirmishes with Abyssinian forces.
The Abyssinian Emperor, Haile Selassie immediately appealed to the League of Nations.
France was keen to keep on good terms with Italy so had promised Mussolini a free hand. Britain, however, made it clear it opposed Italian annexation.
A dilemma brewed. Take action and risk the good, anti-Nazi, relations of the Stressa Front or put the League of Nation’s principles at risk?
Economic Sanctions were imposed on Italy in October 1935 by the League. However, these had little impact and by May 1936 Abyssinia was part of the Italian empire.
With little action by the League of Nations following this the principle of ‘self determination’ was eroded.
Ultimately, by 1937 Italy left the League of Nations over continued economic sanctions.
Revision TASK:
Make a T-chart. On one side write down the reason why the Locarno era was a genuine time of peace and on the other side why it was just an illusion and destined to fail.
Neville Chamberlain’s Appeasement
Neville Chamberlain decided to follow a policy of Appeasement no doubt inspired by his genuine belief that Locarno era was not an illusion, but a genuine move towards peace that would out-last any dictator seizing power.
This meant concessions were made to Hitler by Britain in order to avoid war and no doubt allowed Hitler to grow more confident.
This idea was supported by the British public and most politicians, although not Churchill.
The results of appeasement are argued by many to have brought Europe closer to war.
Return of the Saarland January 1935�
Following the terms of the Treaty of Versailles a vote was held in the Saarland on the 13th January 1935. The people voted 477,000 to 48,000 to rejoin Germany. The vote was run by the League of Nations in a fair way
On 1st March 1935 the Saar became part of Germany again. This encouraged Hitler because it showed that there was support for his plan to re-unite all of German speaking lands.
Confidence growing
The Rhineland March 1936:
One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles was that Germany would not be able to keep military forces in a 50km stretch of the Rhineland. Hitler resented this term as it made Germany vulnerable to invasion.
In 1935, Hitler's planned to strengthen Germany and undermine the Treaty of Versailles. This was given a boost when the German-speaking Saar region voted to reunite with Germany. The region, important for coal production, had previously been removed from German control as a term of Versailles to weaken Germany industrially.
Hitler saw his time and moved! Whilst countries like Britain, France and the USSR were busy stopping Italy from invading Abyssinia Hitler saw his first chance to ‘rectify’ the territorial clause of the Treaty of Versailles. He ordered 20,000 men into the Rhineland.
It did not result in widespread public outrage as it was seen as an assault against the no longer believed in Treaty of Versailles.
Confidence growing
Anschluss March 1938�
Why was Anschluss possible?
The very first page of Mein Kampf made clear Hitler wanted to unit Germany with Austria.
In 1938 Hitler struck lucky. The Austrian Nazi’s wanted unity, whilst the newly elected Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg was seen as an enemy to unity. Schuschnigg held a referendum on the unity of the two countries because he knew Hitler would loose.
The Austrian Nazis stopped this referendum by force. On the 11th March they asked Hitler to ‘restore the peace’ in Austria.
Huge crowds gathered in the Austrian city of Linz and Hitler proclaimed the formal union with Austria on 13th March 1938.
The impact of Anschluss:
Hitler had increased his threat on Europe. He had taken control of an independent state set up by the peace treaties following the First World War. However, the British government only lodged a formal complain, and France said nothing.
Rapid and risky actions from Hitler resulted in a rich reward. Hitler’s confidence was growing and put European peace in danger.
Confidence growing
The Sudetenland October 1938
What was the Sudetenland?
An area of Czechslovakia within which lived 3 million of ‘racial Germans’ and was a big obstacle to expanding East (Lebensraum). Czechslovakia was a member of the League of Nations and had excellent support from Britain, France, Poland and the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, it was a weak country.
Hitler exploited a crisis. The Sudeten Party, for ethnic Germans, demanded for equal treatment and full independence. The Czechoslovakian president faced up to these demands but was faced down by Hitler when he threatened to invade in October 1938.
Early in 1938, the German leader in the Sudetenland Konrad Henlein had complained that Sudeten Germans were being mistreated by Czechs. By the 12 September 1938– Hitler makes a speech attacking Czechoslovakia and threatening them with invasion. Later in September 1938– Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, flies to Germany for the Munich Conference with Hitler. Czechoslovakia was not present. They agree to the German invasion of the Sudetenland between 1 and 10 October to stop them invading the whole of Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlain returned to Britain saying he had established ‘’peace in our time’’ and that Hitler could be trusted.
Confidence growing
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On 15 March 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia.
Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement for several reasons:
The takeover of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, allowed Germany to strengthen.
Confidence growing
German Soviet Pact August 1939:
Confidence growing
Invasion of Poland and war
Revision TASK:
For each event we have seen in the build up to World War Two go back and give it a rating of 1-5 as to how close you think it brought Europe to war.
5- war not likely at all….
through to
….1- war was inevitable, it was just waiting for the first shot
History AS Level
Timetable:
We will hold a Live Question and Answer session on Wednesday 7th February 2024 between 17.30 and 18.15. Join us to ask anything you are unsure of.
Thank you very much for using this resource as I have shared with you some tips to succeed at History AS. All the very best in your exams!