Locarno Pact, 1925

What was the Locarno Pact?

The Locarno Pact was a treaty intended to improve the relationship between Germany, Belgium and France by protecting their borders.

When was the Locarno Pact signed?

The Locarno Pact was signed in December 1925.

Who signed the Locarno Pact?

The pact was signed by Germany, Belgium, France, Britain and Italy.

Why was the Locarno Pact signed?

It was intended to improve the relationship between Germany and her neighbours. German leader, Gustav Stresemann, also wanted to prevent them from being invaded again after the French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr in 1923.

What were the terms of the Locarno Pact?

There were 5 key terms of the Locarno Pact:

• ❖ Germany accepted its new borders with France, drawn up under the Treaty of Versailles. France pledged peace with Germany; it would not occupy Germany again.
• ❖ Germany accepted its new borders with Belgium, drawn up under the Treaty of Versailles, and Belgium pledged peace with Germany.
• ❖ If there was a border dispute between Germany and France or Germany and Belgium, Britain and Italy would step in as guarantors to solve the problems.
• ❖ The five countries agreed to discuss Germany's membership of the League of Nations.
• ❖ It was agreed the Rhineland would be permanently demilitarised.

What were the benefits of the Locarno Pact?

There were 4 key benefits of the Locarno Pact:

• ❖ War was less likely because the relationships between Germany, France, Britain, Belgium and Italy improved.
• ❖ Germany was treated like an equal, rather than the loser of the First World War.
• ❖ As the Locarno Pact had been negotiated between Germany and the other countries, unlike the Treaty of Versailles, it was more acceptable to the public. It improved the reputation of the government and increased support for the moderate political parties.
• ❖ It paved the way for Germany to join the League of Nations.

What were the criticisms of the Locarno Pact?

The drawback of the Locarno Pact was that extremist political parties hated it, primarily because it confirmed the borders laid out in the detested Treaty of Versailles.

What was significant about the Locarno Pact to the League of Nations?

The Locarno pact was significant to the League of Nations for both positive and negative reasons:

• ❖ Positively, the pact paved the way for Germany to join the League - in order for the organisation to be effective, it was important as many countries as possible supported its work.
• ❖ On the negative side, it can be considered a failure of the League. The organisation should have led international agreements regarding peace, but was not involved in this pact.