Recovery of Weimar - WJECThe Locarno Pact

Gustav Stresemann’s broad aim in his foreign policy was to restore Germany’s power and prosperity. He was fully aware however, that Germany was in no position to challenge the Allies' military and revise the Treaty of Versailles by force. Instead Stresemann followed a policy of co-operation with the West and a mixture reconciliation and pressure on the other powers.

Stresemann realised that other countries could not afford to let the German economy collapse completely. His strategy was called Erfüllungspolitik (fulfilment) which meant complying with or fulfilling the terms of Versailles to improve relations with Britain and France.

As a part of his policy of fulfilment a series of meetings of foreign ministers were held. The Locarno Pact, also known as The Locarno Treaties, were discussed at Locarno, Switzerland, on 5–16 October 1925 and officially signed in London on 1 December. Germany, Britain, France, Belgium and Italy signed the Treaty.

What was decided?

• Stresemann accepted Germany’s western (not eastern) borders.
• All countries decided to renounce the use of invasion and force, except in self-defence.
• The Pact reassured France about its borders and Germany about any French invasion/occupation, as had happened in 1923.
• Germany also signed arbitration treaties with Poland and Czechoslovakia renouncing the use of force and promising to refer any future disputes to an arbitration tribunal or to the Permanent Court of International Justice. (This however did not involve Germany accepting its eastern borders).

Impact of the Pact

The Treaties improved the relations between European countries up until 1930. It led to the belief that there would be peaceful settlements to any disputes in the future. This has often been called the spirit of Locarno. This was further re-enforced when Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926.

The Allies left Cologne, which they had occupied, in December 1925. The Nobel Peace Prize was given to the lead negotiators of the treaty - Chamberlain in 1925 and to Briand and Stresemann in 1926.