However, many of the 14 points were far too idealistic to be functioning considering the state of international relations in 1919. The original aims of the US conflicted with those of Great Britain and France. In particular, France wanted to impose harsh punishments on Germany that would guarantee her weakness for many years, and the British supported the War Guilt Clause and called for reparations while the US did not. As a result, the US had to make numerous concessions to appease Britain and France. For example, the US delegation had to concede that point two which demanded ‘freedom of the seas’ did not entail the immediate lifting on the blockade against Germany, as the British felt very strongly about ensuring that the German navy had no chance to afflict damage on the British again. Even with the concessions made, the Fourteen Points were not enough to overcome imperialist rivalries between the victorious states in the Middle East and the Far East. Secondly, the League of Nations did not have the ability to attain the US goal of preventing war and solving disputes between states for a number of reasons. Firstly, the League was wholly dependent on the cooperation of members to outlaw war, and without it, the League was effectively powerless. Secondly, despite the League of Nations being part of President Wilson’s list of original peacemaking aims, the US senate barred the participation of the US in the League, and the absence of such a major world power stifled the assembly’s potential influence. In conclusion, the idealism of some of the Woodrow Wilson’s aims meant that they were unsuitable for the treaty, and the conflict in aims between the US and France and Britain also damaged the pursuit of many US aims.
The aims of France focused more intently on weakening Germany and restoring a balance of power in Europe, and although these views were not shared by other countries, the major role France played in the development of the war ensure that their aims were reflected in the Treaty. France had been decimated by the war, with 1.3 million casualties and 2.8 million wounded, and was acutely aware of the potential strength that Germany still possessed as a result of the collapse of Austria-Hungary and Tsarist Russia. The French Premier Clemenceau wanted to make Germany pay for the damage she had caused in the war, and permanently weaken her in order to ensure that Germany could not start conflict again. France’s original aims were reflected in the Treaty of Versailles in numerous ways: Germany was ordered to disarm immediately and to a point where only internal security was could be managed. The Germans were forbidden to have submarines, tanks or air forces. Also, the French had wanted damages from Germany, and a way to suppress its economy, and demanding reparations was seen as an effective way to obtain both objectives. Therefore, to an extent the original aims of the French were reflected in the Treaty of Versailles.
Despite this, the complete accounting for of many French aims was considered too harsh by the other peacemaking nations. At many levels of agreement, France was the only nation that continually believed that the Germans were not being treated harshly enough. While all of France’s original aims were to an extent accounted for in the treaty, the British and the US were always opposed to the extremity of Clemenceau’s attitude, and influenced the implementation of the treaty. For example, after the US senate blocked the American ratification of the treaty, the French and British were left to undertake it, and the British, being sympathetic to Germany’s situation, made generous concessions and interpretations of major clauses in the treaty. Furthermore, while plans for reparations were put into place, there was no groundwork for its enforcement, and the British and US would offer no support to France should they have gone to forcefully obtain it, greatly damaging the effectiveness of France’s aims in the treaty. In conclusion, the French also met difficulty in the achieving their aims within the Treaty of Versailles due to opposing ideologies and attitudes from the other peacemaking nations.
Many of Britain’s original aims were reflected in the Treaty of Versailles. Firstly, the British were intent on the destruction of the German Navy in order to ensure the security of the British Navy. While the German fleet had effectively been destroyed by the end of the war, this aim was still reflected in the Treaty as Germany was forced to disarm. Also, German trade had been decimated and no longer rivaled British trade. Despite this however, Britain was, like the French, determined to exact reparations from Germany in order to compensate for the material damage inflicted during the war, with Lloyd George saying ‘the imposition of an indemnity … would prevent the Germans spending money on an army.’ This aim was reflected in the treaty with the establishment of a Reparation Committee to determine the details of the reparation process. Lastly, it was agreed that the Kaiser was to be put on trial in front of an international tribunal for war crimes committed, and this was a condition in the Treaty. In conclusions, a number of British aims were reflected in the Treaty of Versailles.
However, other British aims directly opposed those of the French. The British were far more sympathetic to Germany, and unlike France, recognized the advantages a cooperative and appeased Germany could bring. Britain wanted a peaceful united Germany which could act as a barrier to the spread of Bolshevism in the East and eventually develop a market for British goods. Lloyd George, the Prime Minister, wanted to avoid the annexation of German minorities in the newly formed independent states, as he feared this would create the bitterness which could spark a new war in the future. This approach was met by direct opposition from the French, who wanted to inflict maximum penalties on Germany. Consequently, the Treaty of Versailles was much harsher than the British intended, and did not sustain the general attitude of reconciliation that reflected the aims of the British, but also reflected the aims of the French who were seeking revenge.
In conclusion, the Treaty of Versailles did in its entirety reflect many of the aims of the peacekeepers. However, the fundamental differences in ideologies and attitudes towards Germany and its place in international relations meant that often in reflecting the aim of one nation another nation’s aim would be disregarded. Also, despite the inclusion of a country’s aims in the treaty, flaws and loopholes often meant that these aims were unenforceable, reflected in France’s failure to obtain reparations from Germany. Therefore, the Treaty of Versailles, to an extent, managed to reflect only partially the original aims of the peacekeepers
by
owariclover (student)
