The Treaty of Versailles displeased many people.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2025). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] They were made into League of Nations mandates.
2. [1] Allied states/Britain and France took them over as League mandates.
3. [1] Togoland and Cameroon were transferred to France.
4. [1] German East Africa went to Britain.
5. [1] German possessions in the Pacific went to Japan and Australia.
6. [6] Level 4: Explains two reasons.
7. [4-5] Level 3: Explains one reason.
8. [5] This was very important because they had not been allowed to take part in the negotiations at Versailles. The Treaty was decided by the Allies and imposed on Germany. This made Germany angry because they believed they had not been defeated. They had agreed to an armistice in November 1918 and did not see themselves as a defeated power. Therefore, they argued, they should have taken part in the negotiations as equals.
9. [2-3] Level 2: Identifies or describes valid reason(s); addresses the question but does not explain.
10. [1] It was unfair because it was a diktat.
11. [1] They believed they had not been defeated.
12. [1] No German was allowed to attend the peace talks.
13. [1] They did request some changes, but they were all rejected.
14. [1] They thought the diktat was particularly unfair because it was such a harsh treaty.
15. [1] Wilson's Fourteen Points had led them to think they would be treated fairly, but a diktat is not fair.
16. [1] It led to Germans calling the politicians who had signed the treaty 'the November criminals'.
17. [1] Level 1: Writes about the topic but does not address the question.
18. [1] It was important because the Germans really hated it.
19. [10] Level 5: Explains both sides and supports a valid judgement on 'how far'.
20. [10] Although both men were disappointed with aspects of the Treaty, Lloyd George could find more things that he was pleased with. The reason Clemenceau was so disappointed was that he was worried about the very existence of his country – was France safe from future attacks from Germany?
21. [7-9] Level 4: Explains both sides.
22. [4-6] Level 3: Explains one side.
23. [6] Clemenceau was more disappointed. He had wanted Germany to be punished much more than it was. He had wanted to create an independent Rhineland to act as a buffer between France and Germany. The compromise by which the Rhineland was demilitarised did not please him. His overall worry was that France was not protected from a future German attack.
24. [6] OR Lloyd George was disappointed with the Treaty. He was worried that Germany had been punished too harshly and that this would cause problems in the future. He was particularly worried that Germany might not recover enough to be a useful trading partner with Britain.
25. [2-3] Level 2: Identifies or describes valid points; addresses the question but does not explain.
26. [1] Clemenceau wanted the treaty to be harsher.
27. [1] Clemenceau wanted more protection from a future German attack.
28. [1] Clemenceau wanted the German army to be disbanded.
29. [1] Clemenceau wanted an independent Rhineland.
30. [1] Clemenceau wanted the Saar to be annexed to France.
31. [1] Clemenceau was pleased that Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France.
32. [1] Lloyd George thought that Germany had been punished too harshly.
33. [1] Lloyd George thought that Germany would want revenge.
34. [1] Lloyd George had wanted Germany to stay strong as a protection against communism spreading from the east.
35. [1] Lloyd George was pleased that Britain's control of the seas had been maintained.
36. [1] Lloyd George was pleased with the additions to the British Empire.
37. [1] Level 1: Writes about the topic but does not address the question.
38. [1] They were both disappointed with parts of the Treaty but they both had other parts that they were pleased with. I would say it was about even.