Download Treaty of Vienna (1815) v. Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty of Vienna (1815)
v.
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
Daniel Son
Per. 6
Prompt:
 1976 - “The Treaty of Vienna (1815)
was a more realistic accommodation to
the post-Napoleonic period than was
the Versailles settlement (1919) to the
post-First World War period.”
 Decide the merits of the statement above and in a well-
developed argument support your decision with a carefully
reasoned analysis of the events mentioned.
Treaty of Vienna (1815)
 The Great Powers of Europe held a Congress at Vienna to
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settle boundaries after the Napoleonic era.
No great rewards or punishments.
Was generous to France so as to keep them from wanting
revenge.
Wanted to revert to a pre-revolutionary status which only
succeeded temporarily because the world was too liberal.
Restored European monarchies.
Ignored demands for liberalism.
Was mainly negotiated by Austria, Prussia, Russia, & Great
Britain (later, France).
Aimed to preserve the peace in Europe. A peace that lasted
40 years (Crimean War).
Napoleonic Europe
Europe after the Treaty of Vienna (1815).
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
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Peace conference that had representatives of 27 nations.
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Were determined not to make the mistakes made in the Congress
of Vienna. (Reactionary aristocrats, ignoring liberalism)
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Wished to create eternal peace.
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Led mainly by the United States, Great Britain, & France. Kept
Germany out.
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Wilson (USA) spoke for an idealistic & democratic international
cooperation - the League of Nations.
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France & England were not very happy as they wanted to punish
Germany.
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France wanted a demilitarized buffer zone from Germany.
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France instead had a formal defensive alliance with the US and
Great Britain in case of German attack. However, France was later
abandoned by both countries.
Conditions for Germany
 Could only have an armed force of
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100,000 men.
Could only have navy of 15,000.
No import/export of weapons.
Cede Alsace-Lorraine to France.
Cede foreign territories to the Allies.
Put all blame on Germany and its Allies
and required that they pay for reparations.
~$785 billion USD. Reduced to 81.
Further weakened German economy.
Territorial changes after World War I.
Analysis & Conclusion
 Both treaties had their faults.
 The Treaty of Vienna tried to revert to a
monarchist Europe.
 The Treaty of Versailles left Germany
extremely weak and politically unstable.
 However, the Treaty of Vienna had
more realistic demands of the French
empire while the Germans were left
very vulnerable, which set the stage for
Nazi Germany.