ABSTRACT
The end of the Great War in 1918 and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 marked the collapse of the old order in Europe. The Labour party became increasingly strong, challenging the Conservative and Liberal control of government, and their solutions to the problems posed by necessary readjustment to the post-war situation. Four years of fighting almost naturally produced some degree of pacifist reaction, but it was the character of the military conflict that was of special significance. French demands for security against a revanchist Germany were directed towards long-term developments, for, while the main provisions of the Versailles Treaty were in effect, Germany was in no position to threaten France seriously-as the total French victory in the Ruhr in 1923 showed. Military questions were given comparatively little consideration, except when disarmament or reductions in expenditure were thought possible or imperative. For the purpose of clarity in this study, ‘Expeditionary Force’ has been used throughout.
