Clemenceau and the Treaty of Versailles in 1919

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Clemenceau’s aims were to punish Germany for the damage that they had caused and his feelings were reflected in his harshness. His main aims were: Ÿ To make Germany pay for what they had done to France, both in the war and for when the Germans took Alsace and Lorraine from them. Ÿ To militarily restrict Germany. Ÿ To get money back, fine the Germans for all military and civilian damage. Ÿ To territorially restrict Germany. Ÿ To make Germany weaker than France forever. When the treaty was written and finalised, Clemenceau eventually got : Ÿ Alsace and Lorraine handed back to France, although somewhat begrudgingly on Germany’s part. Ÿ Germany’s army limited to 100,000 men. Ÿ Germany banned from using tanks, submarines and aircraft. Ÿ The Rhineland was made a demilitarised zone- this meant that Germany couldn’t get to France. Ÿ Reparations for the repair of France were not set at a set amount, this meant they could charge Germany however much they felt like, without them being reprimanded for it. Eventually it was decided that Germany were to pay £6,600 million over 42 years to France. As it turned out, the Germans stopped paying these instalments in 1930. Ÿ Gained colonies from Germany. Ÿ The War Guilt Clause blamed Germany for war and all damage (this was particularly pleasing to Clemenceau as he held a huge grudge against all things German.) However he did not get all of the damages money repaid to him, or Germany made weaker than France forever. The second of these two options was asking the impossible a bit, as Germany could never be made eternally less powerful than them. This made him slightly angry and he still had a grudge against Germany, but nothing could be done about it now that the treaty had been signed.

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