AQA GCSE Topic 2:which leader was the most satisfied with the terms of the treaty of Versailles: You must refer to both leaders and the terms of then Treaty of Versailles when explaining your answer.

overall

HE TREATY OF VERSAILLES WAS A COMPROMISE FOR ALL OF THE BIG THREE however Georges Clemenceau was the most satified with it.

David Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Britain

Lloyd George was satisfied that Britain had gained most of Germany's colonies, so that after 1919, Britain could recover its wealth and power. However was also dissatisfied by the Treaty as wanted Germany to be punished ,but not too much,especially in economic terms. -Britain was a trading nation,and Lloyd George wanted a quick German economic recovery because he knew that a strong Germany economically meant a strong Europe economically,and this would make a good trading partner for Britain. -He liked the reduction of the German navy, for it ensured that Britannia ruled the waves.He also liked being given German colonies as mandates. - he thought Wilson's League of Nations was a 'dead duck', he opposed self-determination and was sure that putting 3½ million Germans into Czechoslovakia would caused great problems there. And, although he, too, had promised to 'make Germany pay', he was horrified when he learned what Clemenceau wanted. -He opposed Clemenceau's harshness. -When the Treaty was eventually signed, the British delegates were very depressed.Harold Nicholson thought the Treaty 'neither just nor wise', and Lloyd George declared: 'we will have to fight another war in 25 years time, and at three times the cost'.

,Woodrow Wilson, the President of America

Woodrow Wilson was pleased to get the League of Nations accepted, and the map of eastern Europe was mainly drawn according to his principle of self-determination. however he was also dissatisfied as he found most of the rest of his 14 points ignored or rejected. Only the defeated powers were disarmed. Britain refused to accept freedom of the seas, and neither Britain, France nor Belgium would allow self-determination to the colonies in their empires. -Self-determination was not allowed elsewhere - Wilson had wanted Anschluss between Austria and Germany, but this was denied; in 1919 the Czechs took over Teschen by force; and in 1920 Poland attacked and took land inhabited in Russia and Lithuania. All this Wilson had to accept. Finally, when he went home, the Senate

Georges Clemenceau, the Prime Minister of France

france was the most satisfied with the treaty-He gained the satisfaction that Germany had become weaker, with a reduced military force and lost territory as well as resources, he was very pleased, but not as pleased as he could be because he also wanted Germany to be made into many smaller states, which surprisingly didn't happen. -He wanted a treaty that crippled Germany militarily and economically to the extent that it couldn't be a threat to France for the foreseeable future. -he aslo wanted the reperations to be higher for germany. - He was angry that France got the Saar coalfields for only 15 years, and he was also angry that the Rhineland was merely demilitarised