The Ruhr Crisis and Locarno - Overview

1. The Ruhr Crisis and Locarno - Overview • These both represent the highest and the lowest point of international relations in the 1920’s. • The French invasion of the Ruhr sent Germany into chaos with the real threat of anarchy and revolution. • The French were portrayed as bullies and lost international support.

2. Overview contd. • The crisis did have a positive outcome in that the US helped rebuild Germany through the Dawes Plan. • The Locarno treaties promised a solution to Franco-German tensions and set the tone for optimism in 20’s. • This was reinforced in the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

3. The Ruhr Crisis • Was a direct result of the Franco-Belgian invasion of the Ruhr in 1923. • France had been worried about security since the collapse of the Anglo-American guarantee. • France had been unsuccessful in her attempts to split Germany up.

4. Ruhr Crisis contd. • By 1921 the UK and the US were retreating into isolationism. • In the UK there was also growing support for the fact that Germany had been treated too harshly. • Lloyd George made a number of efforts to persuade France to ease the burden on Germany by organizing a review of German obligations at the Geneva Conference in 1922. (This failed because of Rapallo)

5. Ruhr Crisis… Reparations • Germany reparations were set at 132 billion gold marks to the allied powers. • France wanted to force Germany to pay in full for two reasons: • 1) The owed money to the US and hoped to pay their debts. • 2) Most importantly they could weaken Germany, limit their economic recovery thus eliminating them as a threat in the future.

6. Ruhr Crisis - GB • The British needed the money from reparations to pay the US. • The British also knew that German economic weakness would limit the recovery of British trade. • The German signing of the Treaty of Rapallo also convinced GB that if they did not reconcile with Germany it would ally itself with Communist Russia.

7. Force • The French were convinced that Germany was trying to avoid paying and should be forced. • French premier Raymond Poincare took a hard-line approach to Germany and her treaty obligations. • Only force would convince the Germans to fulfil their obligations.

8. Invasion of the Ruhr • Germany missed a delivery of timber as part of her payments. • The French had Germany declared in default. • Despite British objections on 11th January 1923 French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr.

9. French goals • The French objective was to collect reparations by seizing mines and factories and shipping their output to France. • German workers refused to co-operate and went on strike, they engaged in acts of sabotage to prevent the French from getting any materials. • They flooded mines, burnt factories, destroyed railroads and ships this led to violence and the death and imprisonment of leaders of the resistance and protestors.

10. Greatest Crisis • Was the catastrophic inflation that resulted from the French invasion and the response of the Weimar government. • The Weimar govt was already struggling with inflation caused by the war and its own policies made the problem worse. • In order to support the Ruhr workers in the strike, the govt printed more money to the point that paper money became worthless. • Prices for goods rose to hundreds of billions of marks.

11. The collapse of the Weimar government • The worst hit were the middle classes who had saved money and planned for the future. • They had lost everything they were demoralized and cynical about the future. • They were vulnerable to the appeal of extremists who promised to restore pride, faith and hope. (Hitler made his first attempt to seize power at this time.)

12. Anarchy? • Germany was in danger of a complete collapse and a state of anarchy might develop. • The Allies were concerned that this would open the door to communism. • This was an anathema to the Allies and they realized they would have to find a solution to the problem.

13. Reparations? • The collapse of the German economy meant that the Allies were not receiving reparations payments. • Hopes for an economic recovery were in serious jeopardy. • The question for the German government and the Allies was how to resolve the crisis.

14. Gustav Stresemann • Stresemann was appointed chancellor of Germany. (Read his bio on Pg 64) • He called off the passive resistance of the Ruhr and announced that Germany would fulfil her obligations under the Treaty of Versailles. • The French were willing to come to an agreement as the Ruhr occupation had been a failure and had damaged relations with the UK and the US.

15. United States • The US was the key player in the solution of the Ruhr crisis and the reparations issue which had triggered it. • The US was the wealthiest power in the world and to whom the British and French owed huge war debts. • The US demanded payment from GB and France but they could not pay them if Germany did not pay them.

16. Dawes Plan • This problem was resolved by Charles Dawes.(his bio is on pg 63) • The plan allowed Germany to schedule her payments so that the total amount was reduced and the deadlines were extended. • To help Germany recover they received large loans from the US, much private American capital flowed into German businesses and government bonds.

17. Policy of Fulfilment • The resolution of the Ruhr crisis and their willingness to work with the Allies was part of an important policy decision made in Germany prior to the Ruhr Crisis. • The Weimar govt decided it would be useless to try and defy the T of V to try and get it modified. • They decided to comply as far as possible and create an environment that would convince the Allies that Germany was worthy of some revision based on her good citizenship and co-operation.

18. Policy of Fulfilment • This policy was adopted by Stresemann and his successors and was a factor in the Golden Age of Weimar from 1925-29. • It proved successful in gaining a number of concessions for Germany and rehabilitating her international reputation. • The Policy was discontinued with the rise of Hitler in the 1930’s.

19. The spirit of Locarno • Stresemann proposed to the Allies that Germany would be prepared to accept the boundaries with Belgium and France. • They were also prepared to have their obligation enforced by international treaty. • This proposal for détente was welcomed by the British and supported by the new French premier Aristide Briand.

20. Locarno Treaty, 1925 • An agreement was signed in October 1925 by the UK, France, Germany and Belgium. • The most important part was that Germany accepted its western borders as, determined by the T of V, with France and Belgium as permanent. • Germany was also allowed to join the League of Nations.

21. Peace • This was seen as a great step towards permanent peace in Europe. • It was also a great step in Franco-German relations as it addressed France’s security concerns that had shaped French aims and policy at Versailles and the years after. • It would also allow Germany to recover without posing a threat to Western Europe. • It also allowed for France and GB to repair their relationship which had been damaged because of France’s harsh treatment of Germany.

22. Eastern borders • Germany agreed to seek changes in her eastern borders by means of discussion and arbitration with Poland and Czechoslovakia. • It is important to note that the western borders of Germany had been fixed by international guarantee, this did not occur in the east. • GB refused to guarantee the countries to the east of Germany. • This allowed Germany to assume she could change her eastern borders with little objection from the Allies.

23. “Spirit of Locarno” • Germany accepted the results of WW1 in the west but not in the east. • The overall result of the Treaty was that of general optimism and a sense of euphoria “the Spirit of Locarno”!! • Tensions had been reduced, Germany had accepted its borders and renounced violence, prosperity was returning to Europe. • Democracy was flourishing in Germany.

24. New relationship • There appeared to be progress towards peace and a new relationship between the Allies and Germany. • Germany joined the League of Nations and was given a permanent seat on the Council. • The Allies removed troops from the west bank of the Rhine and the Allied commission to supervise disarmament left in 1927.

25. Kellogg-Briand Pact • By 1930 the Allied armies had left Germany and she became an independent state once again. • The spirit of Locarno was best exemplified in 1928 with the signing of the Kellogg-Briand pact. • The pact was signed by 65 countries and they agreed by this action to renounce war as an instrument of national policy. • The work of Stresemann and Briand at Locarno was recognized when they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.

26. Success • Locarno was proof that WW1 and its tensions were finally resolved. • The economic prosperity of the 1920’s and the failure of communism to spread beyond the USSR. • The willingness of Germany to accept the decisions made at the T of V. • These were all strong indicators that a new era might be at hand.

27. Did it work? • Did Locarno accomplish a permanent peace? • The League was not strengthened. • The principle of collective security remained uncertain in its practical application to meeting Europe’s long term security needs.

28. Eastern borders • It is also important to note that Germany did not agree to accept her eastern borders. • It is significant because this is where her worst grievances against the T of V were found. • The Treaty of Rapallo and co-operation with the USSR meant that she was continuing to evade the disarmament clause and looking to redraw the map of Eastern Europe.

29. Economy • The Locarno spirit was closely associated with the economic health of Europe that prevailed in the 1920’s. • It allowed reparations to be paid, political extremism to disappear and a sense of international co-operation to flourish. • If Europe was to continue towards a peaceful future, the optimism would have to be maintained and this was based on economic health – specifically the support of the US.

30. Paper 1 - Test • We will have a practice test on the Locarno Conference. • Remember Paper 1 is four questions: Compare and contrast, OPVL and a mini essay. • Take time to review all the Paper 1 test taking skills. • We will split the test into two parts: Questions 1-3 – 30 minutes and question 4 – 30 minutes. • We will two this over two days. Day 1 – 24th May and Day 2 – 25th May.

31. Key words – Study Guide • Locarno Conference • Aristide Briand • Austen Chamberlain (GB foreign minister) • Gustav Stresemann • Chapter 6 – Contemporary Europe – Phase of Hope – The League and Locarno. • Pgs 64 and 65 – Sources A – D. (IB History textbook)