MODERN HISTORY WORKING DOCUMENT

MODULE 1: WORLD WAR ONE

 War on the Western Front
-The reasons for the stalemate on the Western Front:
 The Schlieffen Plan (Alfred von Schlieffen)
 Germans knew war on two fronts was inevitable, Franco-Russian alliance 1894, France in the
West and Russia in the East
 Alfred von Schlieffen believed the German army was not strong for a two fronted attack.
 Tactical plan to eliminate France before Russia could mobilize (believed to take 6 weeks).
 Plan involved swift attack north of France through Belgium and take Paris in less than 6
weeks, and still have time to use the efficient German railway system to transport the armies
to the Eastern Front for a one sides attack.
 General von Kluck ordered troops to differ from the Schlieffen plan as Germany was believed
to already have won the war on the Western Front, filled with confidence they cut down
south more than previously recommended.
 Flaws in the Schlieffen Plan:
 Taking of Paris from the north meant invading neutral Belgium, who had a treaty with GB,
began their involvement in the war.
 Russian army only took 10 out of the 40 days it was believed to have taken.
 The First Battle of the Marne, 1914
 Conducted Between 6th - 12th September 1914
 Outcomes of this was the halt of the German advances that had dominated the War since
August and Stalemate on the Western Front.
 Following the rapid progress of the Schlieffen Plan, the German army had reached within 30
miles of Paris.
 Panic in France, preparing for a Siege, the 5th and 6th armies were on the defensive (French)
inside Paris.
 Joseph Joffre instructed troops to move south of Marne River, knowing the encircling of
Paris from Von Kluck’s first army to come from the East.
 Von Kluck ordered troops to face the French 5th and 6th causing a difference of the Schlieffen
plan and causing 30 a mile gap between the German first and second army.
 With the help of the BEF (British Expeditionary forces) the 5th army pushed into the gap
created by Von Kluck, with the right wing of this push simultaneously attacking the 2nd
Germany army.
 Despite this, German forces were close to defeating the 6th army lead by General Maunoury
(French) between 6th and 8th of September, only saved on the 7th by the aid of 6,000 reserve
military infantry transported to the battle by taxi cabs.
 On the 9th of September, General von Moltke ordered the retreat of German armies, the
British and French pushed trying to cover lost ground but advance was slow.
 Germans settled down 40 miles back (still in French territory) north of the river Aisne where
they dug down trenches.
 The battle of Marne, finishing on the 10th of September saw the French – with the assistance
of the British – successfully gain lost ground, but most importantly saw the end of any
German hopes to quickly and efficiently bring to a close the war on the Western Front.
 French counter-attack halted German advancements, creating a period where each side tried to
flank the other side, ultimately resulting in a race to the sea.
 Abandoned violation of Netherlands causing bottleneck of troops and supplies through Belgium.
-The Nature of trench warfare and life in the trenches dealing with experiences of Allied and German
soldiers:
 Trench warfare began with the stalemate – war of attrition
 Barbed wire was set up meters in front of the first trench to halt the advancements of opposing
troops, small paths were made to direct incoming infantry into machine gun lines of fire.
 Trench rotation systems were devised to alternate a soldier’s job in the trenches, the British
operated on a 16-day time table; 8 days on the front line, 4 days second line, and 4 days at a rest
camp. But as the war continued troops where known to spend up to 60 days on the front line,
differed between sectors and armies.
 Trench Warfare in 1915 was no longer a fight of movement, but a fight of attrition (attempting to
kill, injure and damage as much as possible, to limit resources by destruction).
 Between 1915 and 1917 the trenches on the front line didn’t move as the stalemate set in, this
continued until the USA sent in one million troops to held defend the French side.
 Dysentery is the inflammation of the large intestine that causes stomach pain and diarrhoea and
can even be fatal if not hydrated properly.
 No man’s land between opposing trenches, 200-250m generally
 60% of all casualties in trench warfare was due to artillery, important due to the fortified nature
of trenches.
 Shellshock – mental breakdown, 80,000 men from 14-18 impossible to remain on the front line.
 Rations of food generally consisted of bully beef and bread made from turnips, bad food = lack of
energy.
 Zig-Zag pattern of trenches to create chock points of enemies who entered the trench and to
limit artillery blast damage.
 Poison Gas
 German army first to use chlorine gas cylinders in warfare in April 1915 against the allies at
the second battle of Ypres.
 The invention of the poison gas didn’t really help any wars or particular battles, it just
increased suffering on both sides, attrition ideology was a cause of this invention.
 Between 1914 and 1918, 91,000 men were killed as a result of poison gas.
 Mustard gas was odourless and caused the melting of lungs
 Phosgene isn’t visible to the eye and extremely fatal
 Prussic acid gas left people incapacitated
 Urine soaked mask is the only way to protect again gas, masked not prominent before 1917
 Weather conditions:
 Rain flooded trenches and exposed decomposing bodies which thus drew rats and spread
disease
 Trench foot was a real issue as trenches were constructed below sea-level and rain caused
constant exposure to moisture without the opportunity to change shoes or socks
 Battles were rarely fought in extreme conditions

-Overview of strategies and tactics to break the stalemate including key battles: Verdun, the Somme,
Passchendaele:
 The Battle of Verdun (Feb-Nov 1916)
 German offensive attack of heavy military bombardment
 General von Falknhayn attempted a war of movement, same objective as Schlieffen plan.
 Falkenhayn’s aim was “to bleed French white” through a war of attrition.
 Verdun became a symbol of French honour, “they shall not pass”.
 Germans failed to break the stalemate in this battle as their artillery bombardment was not
followed by soldiers so French could reorganise themselves and fix communication systems.
 Innovation of large guns saw 10 million shells fired in this war alone.
 Huge casualties for the French.
  Known as the ‘Meat Mincer’ due to the heavy artillery conditions.
 Described the battlefield as “Tragic cocktail of fog, confusion, carnage and destruction”.
 Introduction of flamethrowers, gas and big artillery guns like Howitzers (Big Bertha).
 Results:
 377,000 French Casualties
 337,000 German Casualties
 “If you surrender Verdun, you will be cowards, cowards! And you needn’t wait til then to
hand in your resignation. If you abandon Verdun, I will sack you on the spot” – French Prime
Minister, Briand
 The Battle of the Somme (June-Nov 1916)
 British attack attempting to take pressure off French at Verdun.
 Military bombardment and gassing of Germans for a week, unsuccessful due to Germans
superior trenches.
 General Rawlinson (British) ordered troops to ‘walk’ across no-mans land to confuse the
Germans.
 “We were confused at first but when we started to fire we just had to load and reload. They
went down in the hundreds. We didn’t have to aim, we just fired at them” – German
Machine Gunner
 Britain’s outdated military linear formation proved to be suicidal for allied troops.
 The Battle of Passchendaele or Ypres (July-Nov 1917)
 British offensive attack
 Heavy artillery on Germans like Somme meant Germans expected attacks, little gain due to
Germanys preparation.
 Extremely heavy rain meant swampy conditions, most in 30 years.
 Britain failed to break front line <10km gained
 Goals of this attack was to take Ypres (high ground), relieve the stress on a weak French
army at Verdun and to beat Germany at a war of attrition, Germany moral at breaking point.
 Allies captured Passchendaele with great losses.
 Weapons used:
 Rifles used to pick off individuals in trenches, basic weapons
 Machine guns fixed on choke points and used to stop enemy taking trenches.
 Big guns attempted to break barbed wire and expose trenches.
 Gas used to drive soldiers out of trenches before advance, caused fear and terror.
 Grenades used to clear trenches <2% casualties
 Barbed wire used to hamper enemy soldier and tank movement
 Planes used from the start of the war but usually for surveillance, gradually for attack
 Tanks scared opposition, broke down and mechanically unreliable, British had large
numbers. Didn’t work til 1917-1918
 Flame thrower used by the Germans
 Front line was where attacks were launched from and attackers took cover
 Artillery bombardment unsuccessful due to Germanys strong two storey trenches
 War of attrition: wearing down of opposition, attempt to cause as much destruction to opposing
forces, demoralise and hinder with out a decisive win
 Creeping barrage tactic- Soldiers followed behind artillery fire, safer as enemy in front had to
take cover.
 The Raid tactic- At night small parties quietly approach enemy trench and throw something in,
cut lines and cause havoc, then return to your trench.
 Going over the top tactic- long break out where troops tried to break enemy trenches and spread
out to take more. Artillery a) cut BW b) stopped resistance. Often unsuccessful due to enemy
knowing when you were coming.
 Germans dug down before allied troops, better trenches, could rely on defensive attacks while
allies went offensive to reclaim land.
  Storm Troopers used by the Germans as fast moving special operations units to take trenches.
-Changing attitudes of the Allied and German soldiers to the war over time:
 IMPERIALISM, NATIONALISM, PATRIOTISM, ESCAPE SOCIAL CLASS
 Sense of comradeship, binding emotional tie
 Pals battalion, good in theory but ended up causing more PTSD.
 The start of the war was met with great enthusiasm
 Chance to escape confinement and boarding school for the upper class
 Chance to escape factory jobs for working class
 Widely held belief that the war would be over by christmas
 War poetry is the best way to trace attitudes of soldiers. Even in worse times soldiers wrote of
unique experiences
 In both Britain and Germany the war announcement in 1914 was greeted with support.
 Seen as a chance to bury political differences. The Kaiser said “I see no parties, ony Germans”.
 Christmas Truce of 1914
 By Christmas 1914 trench warfare was the routine. Chrisitmas eve was a clear night and the
Germans began to sing.
 Critical ethusiasm evaportated after 1915 as recruitment numbers dropped.
 The feelings of dispair grew after the somme when Kitchner’s new army was wiped out.
 Denis Winter points out that most foot soldiers came from very poor backgrounds. They were
part of a culture that made light of hardships and an acceptance of death.
 When the armistice arrived on the 11th of November 1918, the overwhelming feeling was ‘anti-
climax’. For some, the morning was peaceful, other parts of the front saw continual action until
the stroke of 11.
 Britain
 In Britain , the Somme marked a turning point in the mood. Kitcheners new army.
 There was still a determination to finish “the job” but enthusiasm had declined.
 Seigfried Sasson: A soldier + poet wrote “A soldier’s declaration” it was read out in parliament +
Published in newspaper.
o “I believe the war is being prolonged by those who have the power to end it… I can no
longer be a party to prolonging these sufferings for ends I believe are evil and unjust.”
 1917 had a series of setbacks that affected public mood. Bad news from the front, bombing
raids, losses at sea, food shortages all lead to anger.
 When victory came, it was a surprise for many.
 Germany
 By 1917, political unity in Germany began to crack.
 1916-1917: Turnip winter > mass starvation
 The left social Democrats stated that they would not support the war if reforms were not made.
 Peace rallies help in Germany in 1915: Rosa Luxemberg + Karl Leibknecht.
 July 19th 1917: Peace resolution passed in the Reichstag passed 212 to 120. Kaiser dismissed the
resolution . Attempts to support this resolution in the British Parliament failed 148 to 19, as
many Brisish MP’s did not show up to vote.
 Strikes began to occur in 1917, even spreading to the navy. Thousands became part of anti-war
movement.
 Janurary 1918: week long anti-war protests saw over 1 million Germans protest. Allied blockade
+ news from the front lead to disenchantment with the government and the Kasier.
 Oct 1918: verge of revolution. Kaiser abdicated November 1918.

 The home fronts in Britain and Germany

-Total war and its social and economic impact on civilians in Britain and Germany:
 Conscientious Objectors
 People who simply didn’t want to fight in WW1
 Big losses in Ypres and Somme ruined public opinion of the war
  Conscription introduced in Britain in 1916
 Germany had conscription since 1910
 Several Types of Objectors
 Pacifists who were against war in general
 Political objectors who didn’t want Germany as the enemy
 Religious Objectors who saw war as an act against their religion
 Some did not want to fight but were happy to help with the war effort (arms manufacture)
 Military Service Act 1916, expanded to include married at 51-year-old men as the war
progressed
 Propaganda
 Make their army look more powerful than others, inspires nationalism
 No information from the front line so government could skew the facts
 Showed only information that the Government thought was good for the population
 Newspaper headings aimed to raise emotions, “Germans crucify Canadian Officer”
 Fear – invasion from the enemy and by signing up, they can be stopped
 Anger – using enemy attacks to promote hate
 Pride – nationalism and duty to country
 Total War
 A war which is unrestricted in terms of weapons used or objectives pursued
 Rules of engagement no longer existed
 Everybody working towards war
 In Britain 1 million women went to work in the munitions factories
 Entire nations called into service
 DORA: Defense of the Realm Act Britain
 Government factories which produce munitions to ensure there was never a shortage
 Government controlled the depictions of the war through censorship of letters
 Rationing
Britain:
 It was only in 1916 that food prices rose
 DORA set a code of rationing, failed
 Government took 2.5 million acres of land for farming
 1918 Laws introduced to control rations
Germany:
 More money put towards industrial production
 British naval blockade saw food not being able to be imported
 1916/1917 ‘Turnip Winter’ saw a bad potato harvest, people eating animal feed and
dead horses
 High rates of malnutrition
 The Home Front
 Home front was all life that was left in Britain: women, factory workers and children
 Believing the war would be over by Christmas, morals were high.
 People began working in production lines to make items to be sent to the front lines
 Organizations began working towards the war effort

Social and economic impact on civilians in Britain and Germany:

Germany Britain
Social -1916 National Service Law gave -UK did not have conscription before
government control of all males, 1914 only BEF, introduction of
food shortages. conscription not popular at all.
 - Germany’s authoritarian
government meant media control
was accepted and already had
conscriptions, no public outcry,
Hindenburg program 1916.
- Brutally effective war machines due
to industry focus.
Economic - Walther Rathenau in charge of War
Raw Materials Department (KRA).
Centralised raw materials used for
war production and labour.
- 1916 Hindenburg Program, gave
government increased control of
labour, moved people to war efforts
from agriculture.
- KRA and Hindenburg program
ensured German efficiency.
Although it neglected food
production, caused shortages,
‘turnip winter’ of 1916.
- British blockade of the seas hurt
German economy destroyed 80% of
export market.
- Expensive war effort
-Recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in Britain and Germany:
German
Propaganda -German propaganda lacked co-
ordination. It was largely done
by private groups. Circulation of
newspapers and magazines rose
during the war. As the war
continued the public began to
distrust these publications.
-The military, in a bid to elevate
the standard, established
“Kriegsnachrichten” (German
war news).
-Germany spent approximately
US $100 million on a
propaganda campaign aimed at
the American Public in an effort
to influence (the British also did
this).
-German propaganda focussed
on encirclement and the idea
that German enemies were out
to suppress German “Kultur”
and deny Germany her true
greatness.
- Defence of the Realm Act (DORA):
nationalised coal mines, censorship
1914
-Inflation rose 300%
Increase in strikes due to costs
increasing but wages not.
- Ministry of Munitions 1915 lead by
Lloyd George. This ministry took
control of key factories to allocate
war materials efficiently, also gave
them power to direct workers.
- Five departments were established:
Shipping, Labour, Food, National
service & Food Production, each
controlled their domain.
- War caused food shortages and
price increases 110%.
- Imports fell
- Increased taxation by 150%, tax
threshold lowered.
- Rationing was introduced in 1918,
issued two cards for food.
- Working conditions and wages fell
Britain
-British propaganda portrayed
Germany and the Kaiser as the
epitome of evil. Wilhelm was
compared to Judas. Kipling
wrote that 1914 divided people
into “human beings and
Germans.”
-The “atrocity story” was
exploited to arouse hatred for
the Germans. E.g. Murder of
nurse Edith Cavell was exploited
as a crime against humanity.
-The sinking of the Lusitania, a
British ocean liner in 1915 was
also used to grow hatred. 1,198
passengers died when a German
U-boat torpedoed the liner.
-The War Propaganda Bureau
was eventually responsible for
the control and flow of all
British propaganda.
 -Germans also used atrocity
stories e.g. a newspaper
headline read “10 year old boy
finds bucketful of eyes”.
Censorship Censorship and outright lies
were well-established aspects of
German propaganda e.g.
1. Accurate news from the
battlefront was
impossible to attain.
The only news report
about the first battle of
Marne, said that it was
going well for the
Germans.
2. Casualty figures were
false until 1916
3. They played down the
impact of the US
involvement
4. German resources were
exaggerated
5. The German public
were told that the war
begun because France
invaded Germany.
Conscription -No need to embark on a
recruitment campaign due to
high nationalism and the
existence of conscription pre-
war
-Conscription was accepted in
peacetime
-Large standing army and
trained reserves pre war
 Propaganda
Purpose
 Home front- Evoked nationalism/ Sense of pride in national army
 Frontline- Aimed to demoralise opposing troops and increase your moral
 Home front- To sell bonds and create finance
 Home front- To persuade people to enlist
 Home front- Practical advice, boost moral
 Overseas- Battle propaganda overseas
Methods
 Posters
 Film
-Censorship was in distinguished
from propaganda. In April 1915
a Directorate of Special
Intelligence (DSI) was
established to co-ordinate all
censorship and intelligence
activities
-Censorship of mail provided
opportunities for finding themes
for propaganda
-British soldiers were forbidden
from keeping diaries, this was
by-passed by soldiers writing on
scraps of paper or keeping notes
secret.
-Officers censored the letters of
soldiers.
-Did not have conscription
before WW1
-BEF sent to France in ’14
quickly eradicated
-Extremely persuasive and
intense recruitment campaigns
that mocked those who didn’t
sign up
-Conscription in Jan 1915
-Age and status of men eligible
for recruitment changed as the
war progressed and losses
mounted
-Conscientious Objectors
oppose conscription
  News articles
 Censoring letters
 Poems
 Books
 Songs
 False data
Audience
 Citizens of the country
 Eligible aged men and women
 Citizens of opposing countries
Examples
 Stop the Huns
 Japanese are listening
 Buy war bonds
 Boy finds bucket of eyeballs
 Canadian officer crucified

-The variety of attitudes to the war and how they changed over time in Britain and Germany
 Pre-war nationalism sparked in all major countries, excitement of war
 Competition between monarchies was a chance to prove themselves and who was the best
 Fallacy of a short war, still high morale until Christmas
 Downturn in morale after 1914 as the stalemate set in
 Somme, Ypres and Verdun cause damage to population, inexperienced soldiers called up from
the home front
o Somme a turning point for Britain, no longer civilians willing to give their lives
 Lack of workers and men on the home front
 German home front collapsing behind them
 Home front didn’t support soldiers after major losses
 Started ripping up copper piping to use for war efforts
 All food was directed to the front lines, starving at home

-The impact of the war on women’s lives and experiences in Britain:

 Women on the Home Front
 Nurses, munitions manufacturers, mechanics and spies
 2oo,ooo women in government positions
 7oo,ooo women in arms manufacturing
 5,ooo,ooo women in Britain 1915
 Every country increased women in work roles
 80% of British ammunition was made by women
 ½ men’s wages
 Small minority on frontlines
 Women at the front as drivers and nurses
 Russia employed whole battalions of women
 Changed class structure
 Important movement for women’s rights/suffrage
 Women’s Land Army
 Started 1916
 Encouraged women to go work on the land
 Middle-Upper class women employed
 10-12 hours a day 6 days a week
 Importance of food production, neglected slightly
 Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D)
  Upper-Middle class women
 Started in 1914 and by August 1914, 74,000 members
 Made in the event Britain was invaded
 Volunteers with no formal training
 1915, sent to the front
 Women’s Armed Service
 Formed in 1917
 End of war, 54,000 members
 Served on front line as nurses, mechanics, cooks
 Women’s Royal Naval Service
 “Join the Wrens and free a man for the fleet”
 Established 1917
 Worked as code-breakers and other
 Served in support roles
 Women’s Royal Air Force
 April 1918
 Support roles again
 Munitions Factories
 Largest single industry that employed women
 Low class citizens
 1914-191, 2oo women killed total
 Welfare introduced 1917 to guarantee safety
 “Canaries” as sulfur skin turned yellow

 Turning Points
-Impact of the entry of the USA and of the Russian Withdrawal:
 American Entry
 Introduced 1 million new and fresh troops, untouched by the horrors of war
 Decreased Central powers morale levels and increased the Allied.
 Russian Withdrawal
 Due to communism, Bolsheviks overthrow the Tsar.
 Freed 52 German divisions to fight on the western front, Ludendorff kept 500,000 still in the
east, mistake!
 Ended war on two fronts which Germany had fought to hard to abolish
 Decreased spread of German armies
 Increase in French desertion rates, people just gave up
 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gave 6 billion marks to Germany in reparations. Acted as a short term
solution for Germany.
 Baltic States
 Why America Joined
 USA declares war April 6, 1917
 Unrestricted U-boat warfare by Germany
 Breakdown of Tsarist regime (making the aim of saving democracy a bit more plausible)
 Sinking of Lusitania
 Germany warned British passengers where in danger
 New York to England
 May 1915, U-Boat attack
 Interception of Zimmerman Telegraph
 Sent by German foreign secretary Mr Zimmerman
 Decoded by Britain
 Proposed alliance between Mexico and Germany, want them to attack USA.
-Ludendorff’s Spring Offensive and the Allied Response:
 1918 was all-consuming effort for a new assault on the weaker spots on the allied front line,
before America arrived with Fresh Troops.
 April 8th start of the counter offensive: black day
 Aimed to separate the British and French Armies enabling the Germans to punch a hole in the
front line
o Language barriers + different commanders
 New strategy called ‘Storm Trooper Assault” special operations
 Still a stalemate at the beginning of 1918
o Ludendorff’s spring offensive broke the stalemate.
 Britain and France decided to unite under one commander, Frenchman Foch.
 German advance collapsed and pushed back behind the Hindenburg line.
 “We must strike at the earliest moment before the Americans can throw strong forces into the
scale. We must beat the British” – Ludendorff
 Storm troopers was so quick, supply lines could not keep up with them, ran out of ammunition
and food.
 Germany was facing a communist revolution, resources lacked.
 Weapons: Storm troops, flamethrowers, tanks
 Ludendorff chose point between English in the North and French in the South, 12-mile gap
where trenches were shallow and unfinished, lack of reserve troops
 1 million shells fired at Allied troops in first 5 hours of attack
 21,ooo British troops captured first day
 Germans achieved more in 2 days than the whole war
 Troops draw back through Somme battlefield, “Giving up ground of which so much blood had
been shed”

 Allied Victory
-Events leading to the Armistice, 1918:
 Lead to starvation as no imports could be made
 Lack of resources for war efforts
 No exports to earn money
 Couldn’t access colonial links for support
 Great Britain purchased supplies bound for Germany at low prices
 Lack of Morale for German Troops
 Lost too much ground
-Reasons for the Allied Victory and the German collapse:
1. Failure of the Schlieffen Plan
- Didn’t avoid a war on two fronts
- Involved England and later America
- “The failure of the Schlieffen Plan gave WW1 it’s shape”
- Caused the stalemate
2. British Naval Blockade
- No resources to fund ammunition production
- Stopped supply of goods to Central powers
- 783,000 died of starvation – Turnip Winter 1916-1916
- No fertiliser to grow food
3. US introduction into the war
- Introduced 1,000,000 US troops
- Fresh men, untainted by 3 of war weariness
- Sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 + Zimmerman Telegraphs
- October 1917 = 4 million fresh Americans in action
- Destroyed German already critical morale
4. Morale of the Home-front
 - Total war ideology = social issues began to occur
o 1916 Food shortages in Britain
o Mutinies such as Kiel
o Strikes = 100,000 in 1918
o Cost of living 200% increased

-The roles and differing goals of Clemenceau, Lloyd George and Wilson in creating the Treaty of
Versailles:
 1919 Paris Peace Conference
George Clemenceau
 In Office: 16th November, 1917 – 20th January, 1920
 Radical Party (Liberal)
 He wanted revenge, and to punish the Germans for what they had done
 He wanted to make Germany pay for the damage done during the war
 He also wanted to weaken Germany, so France would never be invaded again
 “There are 20 million Germans too many!” – shows views of Clemenceau
 “You are both sheltered; we are not.” Clemenceau debating at the PPC
 Extremely worried about another invasion occurring.
 Wanted economic affluences
o France was heavily destroyed, wanted repayment
Lloyd George
MEDIATOR
 In Office: 6th December, 1916 – 19th October, 1922
 Liberal British
 Lloyd saved the peace when French wanted blood
 He said he would ‘make Germany pay’ because he knew that was what the British people
wanted to hear.
 He wanted Justice, rather than revenge
 “Peace must not be harsh, because it would just cause another world war”
o Even fall to communism, falling of the dominos
 Wanted dominance over the seas for England, colonial expansion
 He was vouching for a ‘half-way’ point, between Woodrow and Clemenceau
 Also had personal desires: to expand British Empire, maintain British control of the seas, and
increase Britain’s trade

 Fontainebleau Memorandum 25th march 1919

o Lloyd George fear if the treaty was too harsh they would turn to Bolshevism and seek
revolution. Settlement to contain no provocation for future wars.

Woodrow Wilson
 In Office: 4th March, 1913 – 4th March 1921
 Big advocate for world peace
 Democratic
 Wilson envisaged a future in which the international community could pre-empt another world
conflict.
 Not many of his ideas passed, but was accredited with the creation of the League of Nations
 Dominated by George and Clemenceau.
 Promised self-determination for Eastern Europeans
 Wanted disarmament
 “At last everyone will know America is the saviour of the world”
 Received a Nobel Peace
 League of nations, didn’t have power
 Published ’14 Points’
 - January 1918
- At no time did Britain or Germany accept these points due to them being too vague
- Germany initially rejected the plan, but in October 1918, with defeat inevitable, approached
Wilson to discuss peace on the basis of the program
1. No more secret treaties. (WWI was caused by treaties)
2. Freedom of the seas. (Blockade)
3. An end to customs duties. (Starvation – U-boats)
4. All countries to reduce armaments. (Decrease)
5. Freedom for colonies. (Level playing field)
6. The German Army must leave Russia.
7. Belgium must be independent.
8. France should be fully liberated and should get back Alsace-Lorraine
9. Self-determination for Italians.
10. Self-determination for all peoples in the Austro-Hungarian empire.
11. Self-determination and independence for the Balkan nations.
12. Self-determination for Turkey, and for all peoples in the Turkish empire.
13. An independent Poland with access to the sea.
14. A League of Nations.

Early Attempts at Peace

 The Stockholm conference, held in Sweden in mid 1917 tried to bring about peace between Russia
and Germany. The conference broke up without any results.
 The pope, Benedict XI also suggested for peace in 1917, on the basis complete restoration of all
territories, and arrangements for disarmament and international arbitration.

Extracts from the Terms of Armistice

 Germany was to do the following
 Immediately evacuated Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Alsace-Lorraine.
 Surrender 2,500 heavy guns, 2,500 field guns, 25,000 machine guns, and 1,700 airplanes
 Evacuate the left bank of the Rhine; this area would be occupied by the allies
 Hand over 5,000 locomotives, 150,000 railway wagons and 5,000 trucks

Clash of Personalities
 Before the conference, Clemenceau had objection to Wilson representing the USA. He feared that, as
the only head of state, Wilson would dominate proceedings.
 Clemenceau and Lloyd George were, at times irritated by Wilsons assumed air of morale supremacy.
 Alliances were changed due to the benefits of their country.

War Guilt Cause Article 231

 Abdication of the Kaiser
 Annexation of economic land
 Decline of military build-up
 Woodrow said that the settlement should contain no provocation for future wars.
 The removal of armies and placing blame on Germany did spark the desire for WWI.

Other Terms of the Treaty

 The German army was limited to 100,000 men
 The Germans were not permitted to have an air force; their navy was limited to six battleships
 Conscription was banned in Germany
 Germany was not to have any colonies
 The allies would occupy Rhineland for 15 years – barrier for French

 Fontainebleau Memorandum 25 March 1919

  Lloyd George feared if treaty too harsh they would turn to Bolshevism and seek revolution. Set out
thoughts – Allies could not expect Germany to be crushed yet pay. Settlement to contain no
provocation for future wars > Clemenceau gave LG a cool reception due to these ideas

Impact of The Treaty Of Versailles

Allies:
Economic Political Social Evidence/Quote
~ France had to rebuilt ~ Britain’s military ~ Population was not ~ The treaty of
infrastructure as it was budget took severe happy with the Versailles had left
heavily damaged cuts, the total economy government for (Germany) largely
during the occupation was driven by the war spending so much intact, with a
by Germany efforts. money, time, resources population of more
~ The disarmament led ~ France Regained and people on the war than double of
to increased materials Alsace Lorraine France’s.
for France ~ Wilson was left as an ~ For Germany, the
~ The shared use of the unpopular leader after terms of reparations
Rhineland gave them his inability to get what eventually arrived at by
more productive power he and the American the Reparatons
and increased public wanted in the Committee were
production of goods treaty negotiations unacceptable.
and increased ~ League of nations
economic and trade created
benefits
~ Britain could no
longer afford to put as
much money into war
as the total war effort
had a major drain on
their ecomomy.

Germany:
Economic Political Social Evidence/Quote
~ Held accountable for ~ Democracy forced ~ Limited army to ~ Keynes wrote in
the cost of the war, had upon Germany as Allied 15,000 officers and 1920, The Economic
to compensate for forces wouldn’t men, six battleships, 12 Consquences of the the
damages. negotiate with a non destroyers, 12 Peace in which he
~ Reparations, paid democratic nation. torpeado, restricted to argues that the
monthly and total ~ The stab in the back 100,000 men. German Economy
6,600 million pounds. campaign made ~ The Germans felt would be destroyed by
~ Had to reconstruct civilians believe it was betrayed by the treaty the post-war Versailles
own economy whilst more of a political loss presented to them and Treaty.
paying reparations than that of the army. resented the manner in ~ ‘War guilt’ clause 231
~Germany lost some of Led to a growth of which the Allied more than any other in
their most precious raw distrust in the Weimar powers were treating the entire Treaty of
resources as their republic. them. Because of this Versailles, was to cause
colonies where ceded. ~ Dutch didn’t hand seemingly hard lasting resentment in
~ Hard for Germany to over the Kaiser, treatement, “every Germany.
regain its feet without stopped any chance of party in Germany, from
sources of income. restoration of the the communists on
~ Food was scare and German Monarchy. even the extreme left
jobs were difficult to to Hitler’s National
find. Socialists on the
~ Inflation put food extreme right,
prices though the roof. concurred in
condeming the
Versailles Treaty as
unjust and
unacceptable.