1.4.1

Positives & Negatives

Test yourself on Positives & Negatives

Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

The Treaty of Versailles: Positives

Many people at the time felt that as the ones who lost the war, it was only fair that the Germans were punished as they were.

Leniency

Leniency

  • Some historians believe that the Treaty could have been even harsher than it was and in fact, believe that if Germany had won the war, it would have been even harsher on the Allies.
  • The Treaty was still more lenient than the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918).
    • In this treaty, Germany forced Russia to give up huge amounts of land and resources.
Fair

Fair

  • Many people at the time felt that as the ones who lost the war, it was only fair that the Germans were punished as they were.
Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

  • By creating lots of new states, the Allies were happy that the Ottoman Empire (a really powerful Empire) had been broken apart.
  • They also felt that creating lots of smaller countries in Eastern Europe would act as a ‘buffer zone’ against the USSR.
The USSR and communism

The USSR and communism

  • The USSR was Communist.
  • The Allies were petrified that this would spread to the Western countries and cause chaos.
The best solution possible

The best solution possible

  • Some historians feel that the Allies did the best they could with the Treaty of Versailles.
  • After the war, Europe was in a real mess.
    • Millions of people had died.
  • There were new countries, poverty was common and cleaning up after the war was an unsolvable problem.

The Treaty of Versailles: Negatives

Some people at the time, and many people with hindsight, have concluded that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh on Germany and is, in part, to blame for WWII.

Responsibility

Responsibility

  • The Germans felt humiliated for having to say the war was their fault; the German men were only fighting in response to government orders, just like any other country.
Borders

Borders

  • Lots of families were ripped apart as the German borders were all re-defined.
  • 6 million Germans now lived in land that was no longer classed as German.
Revenge

Revenge

  • Some historians think that people felt that because the Treaty of Versailles was so harsh, there could be another war as Germany would seek revenge.
  • The German people felt weak and vulnerable to attack by Allied countries. This may have led them to support measures to build up the German military.
Civil war

Civil war

  • The creation of new borders would mean that there would be a lot of potential disagreements across Europe.
  • In fact, the people in these countries didn’t want new borders so over time many civil wars were fought.
  • Yugoslavia, a country that was created as a result of the Treaty, no longer exists because of civil war.
Jump to other topics
1

Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair?

1.1

What were the Motives and Aims at Versailles?

1.1.1The Treaty of Versailles1.1.2Roles of Wilson, Clemenceau & George
1.2

Did the Victors Get Everything They Wanted?

1.2.1The Terms: Territory1.2.2The Terms: Reparations1.2.3The Terms: Armaments1.2.4The Terms: War Guilt1.2.5The League of Nations1.2.6French Reaction1.2.7American Reaction1.2.8British Reaction1.2.9Countries Left Out of the Treaty of Versailles
1.3

What was the Impact on Germany up to 1923?

1.3.1German Reaction to the Treaty1.3.2Germany’s Allies1.3.3Economic Impacts: Ruhr & Hyperinflation1.3.4Social Impacts of the Treaty in Germany1.3.5Political Impacts of the Treaty on Germany1.3.6Reducing Reparation: The Dawes Plan
1.4

Could the Treaty be Justified at the Time?

1.4.1Positives & Negatives1.4.2Contemporary Opinions About the Treaty
2

Was the League of Nations a Success?

2.1

How did Weaknesses in the League Lead to Failure?

2.1.1The League of Nations2.1.2Structure of the League: Assembly & Council2.1.3Structure of the League: Special Commissions2.1.4Structure of the League: Permanent Court2.1.5Structure of the League: Secretariat2.1.6Financial Crisis in the World
2.2

The League’s Success in Peacekeeping

2.2.1Successes: International Borders2.2.2Successes: International Agreements2.2.3Failures: Vilna (1920)2.2.4Åland Islands 1920-212.2.5Failures: Corfu 19232.2.6Failures: Bulgaria 1925
2.3

How Important was the League's Humanitarian Work?

2.3.1Refugees, Health, Slavery, Working Conditions 12.3.2Refugees, Health, Slavery, Working Conditions 2
2.4

How did the Depression Impact the League?

2.4.1The Great Depression, 19292.4.2The Manchurian Crisis, 19312.4.3Invasion of Abyssinia, 1935
3

How did Hitler's Foreign Policy Impact the War?

3.1

What were the Long-Term Consequences of Versailles

3.1.1Long-Term Consequences of Versailles
3.2

What were the Consequences of the League's Failure

3.2.1The Disarmament Conference3.2.2Collapse of the League of Nations3.2.3Tension in Europe in the 1930s3.2.4WWII & Failure of the League of Nations3.2.5Weak Nations
3.3

Was the Policy of Appeasement Justified?

3.3.1The Spanish Civil War, 1936-393.3.2The Sudetenland3.3.3Arguments for Appeasement3.3.4Arguments Against Appeasement3.3.5Reasons & Acts of Appeasement3.3.6Impact of Appeasement
3.4

How Important was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

3.4.1The Nazi-Soviet Pact3.4.2The Polish Crisis & the Outbreak of War
3.5

Why did Britain & France Declare War on Germany?

3.5.1The Guarantee for Poland and the War3.5.2Hitler’s Foreign Policy & Rearmament3.5.3Hitler's Plan3.5.4The Saar3.5.5Remilitarisation of the Rhineland3.5.6The Rome-Berlin Axis3.5.7Germany & Italy in the Spanish War3.5.8The Anti-Comintern Pact3.5.9Anschluss with Austria3.5.10The Munich Agreement3.5.11The Crisis over Czechoslovakia
4

Who was to Blame for the Cold War?

4.1

Why did the US-Soviet Alliance Break Down?

4.1.1Cold War - Definition4.1.2The Grand Alliance4.1.3The 1945 Summit Conferences4.1.4Early US-Soviet Relations4.1.5The Breakdown of the US-Soviet Alliance4.1.6Attitudes of Truman & Stalin4.1.7US & Soviet Attitudes to Peace
4.2

How did the USSR Gain Control of Eastern Europe?

4.2.1The USSR & Eastern Europe
4.3

How did the US React to Soviet Expansionism?

4.3.1The Beginning of the Cold War4.3.2The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan4.3.3East-West Boundaries4.3.4Berlin Crisis
4.4

What were the Consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

4.4.1Germany4.4.2Bizonia4.4.3Berlin Blockade4.4.4FRG & GDR4.4.5NATO4.4.6Warsaw Pact
4.5

Who was More to Blame for Starting the Cold War?

4.5.1The Responsibility for Cold War Tensions4.5.2Blame on the USRR4.5.3Blame on the US4.5.4Sharing the Blame
5

Did the US Contain the Spread of Communism?

5.1

The US and Korea, 1950-53

5.1.1The US and Korea: Background to the Crisis5.1.2The Korean War5.1.3The Course of the Korean War
5.2

The US and Cuba, 1959-62

5.2.1Build-Up to the Cuban Missile Crisis5.2.2The Cuban Missile Crisis5.2.3Consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis
5.3

The US and Vietnam, 1955-75

5.3.1French Rule in Vietnam5.3.2President Eisenhower5.3.3President Kennedy5.3.4The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 19645.3.5US Tactics5.3.6Vietcong Tactics5.3.7The Vietcong5.3.8The My Lai Massacre, 19685.3.9Vietnamisation5.3.10The Tet Offensive, 19685.3.11Attacks on Cambodia & Laos5.3.12The Bombing of North Vietnam5.3.13The Failure of Vietnamisation5.3.14The Growth of Opposition5.3.15The Draft System5.3.16The Kent State University Shootings, 19705.3.17Political Opposition5.3.18Reasons for Support 15.3.19Reasons for Support 25.3.20Political Support5.3.21Peace Negotiations5.3.22The Paris Peace Accords, 19735.3.23Economic & Human Costs 15.3.24Economic & Human Costs 25.3.25The Strengths of North Vietnam 15.3.26The Strengths of North Vietnam 25.3.27The Weaknesses of the US 15.3.28The Weaknesses of the US 25.3.29Opposition in the US5.3.30Reasons Why USA Lost
6

How was USSR's Control Over Eastern Europe?

6.1

Opposition to Control in Hungary & Czechoslovakia

6.1.1Causes of Opposition6.1.2The Hungarian Uprising6.1.3Czechoslovakia, 19686.1.4Reaction to the Brezhnev Doctrine
6.2

Similarities Between Hungary & Czechoslovakia

6.2.1Hungary and Czechoslovakia 16.2.2Hungary & Czechoslovakia 2
6.3

Why was the Berlin Wall Built?

6.3.1The Berlin Wall 16.3.2The Berlin Wall 26.3.3The U2 Crisis
6.4

Solidarity in Poland & Soviet Influence

6.4.1Solidarity in Poland
6.5

Gorbachev's Responsibility

6.5.1Reagan & Gorbachev6.5.2Reagan and the ‘Second Cold War’6.5.3The Collapse of Soviet Control6.5.4The Collapse of the USSR

Practice questions on Positives & Negatives

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Results of the new countries created in the Treaty of Versailles: Fill in the list
  2. 2
    After World War I, why did some people believe that punishing Germany through the Treaty of Versailles was fair? Multiple choice
  3. 3
    After World War One, the Treaty of Versailles and other agreements reshaped borders and powers in Europe and the Middle East. <br><br> How did the Treaty of Versailles aim to reduce the power of the former Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Historians often debate the possible outcomes if Germany had won World War I and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles. <br><br> Why did some historians argue that the Treaty of Versailles might have prevented an even harsher settlement if Germany had won World War I?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    The Treaty of Versailles redrew many borders in Europe after World War One. <br><br> What was one of the main negative effects on German populations caused by the new borders created after the Treaty?Multiple choice
Answer all questions on Positives & Negatives

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium

Reducing Reparation: The Dawes Plan

Contemporary Opinions About the Treaty