Why did attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 end in failure
Why did attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 end in failure? (Nov 11)
There were many reasons why attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 failed. These included the Treaty of Versailles, Great depression, and failure of the League of Nations However, the Hitler’s foreign policies and the appeasement of Hitler were probably the most important factors in the failure of cooperation in Europe throughout the interwar period, as it cemented the start of WWII.
The Treaty of Versailles is a reason why attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 failed. The ToV, signed in 1919, was a diktat, or dictated peace that the Germans were forced to sign at the end of WWI. Germany was given full blame under Article 231 and were forced to pay more than 6,600million pounds in reparations. This greatly angered the German people, as the terms of the Treaty were seen as too harsh. The ToV weakened the Weimar republic from the very beginning, as it was seen as a ‘stab in the back’, or ‘dolschtoss’. This led to people supporting extermist groups, most notably Hitler. Hitler gained support by promising to eradicate the ToV, his rise to power would later be a major factor in the failure of cooperation in Europe. Historian James Joll said that ToV divided Europe, as some countries (Germany, Italy, Japan) wanted to revise the treaty while some countries demanded even harsher terms (France, Poland), making cooperation all the more difficult. Economist John Keynes denoucned the reparations, saying that it put too much presssure on German economy and threatened Europe’s economy. This caused much strain among the countries in Europe, as France wanted to impose higher reparations while Britain disagreed as Germany was one of its biggest trading partners; the conflicting ideas on the ToV led to the failure of cooperation in Europe in the early 1920s.
The Treaty of Versailles can be linked to the Great Depression, which was another factor
There were many reasons why attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 failed. These included the Treaty of Versailles, Great depression, and failure of the League of Nations However, the Hitler’s foreign policies and the appeasement of Hitler were probably the most important factors in the failure of cooperation in Europe throughout the interwar period, as it cemented the start of WWII.
The Treaty of Versailles is a reason why attempts at cooperation in Europe between 1919 and 1939 failed. The ToV, signed in 1919, was a diktat, or dictated peace that the Germans were forced to sign at the end of WWI. Germany was given full blame under Article 231 and were forced to pay more than 6,600million pounds in reparations. This greatly angered the German people, as the terms of the Treaty were seen as too harsh. The ToV weakened the Weimar republic from the very beginning, as it was seen as a ‘stab in the back’, or ‘dolschtoss’. This led to people supporting extermist groups, most notably Hitler. Hitler gained support by promising to eradicate the ToV, his rise to power would later be a major factor in the failure of cooperation in Europe. Historian James Joll said that ToV divided Europe, as some countries (Germany, Italy, Japan) wanted to revise the treaty while some countries demanded even harsher terms (France, Poland), making cooperation all the more difficult. Economist John Keynes denoucned the reparations, saying that it put too much presssure on German economy and threatened Europe’s economy. This caused much strain among the countries in Europe, as France wanted to impose higher reparations while Britain disagreed as Germany was one of its biggest trading partners; the conflicting ideas on the ToV led to the failure of cooperation in Europe in the early 1920s.
The Treaty of Versailles can be linked to the Great Depression, which was another factor