The 'Spirit of Locarno': consolidation of the post-war settlement; attempts at disarmament and conciliation in international relations, including the Dawes Plan, the Geneva Protocol and the Kellogg-Briand Pact
In the mid-1920s, European powers signed a series of agreements to stabilise the post-war world. These deals created a brief mood of optimism — historians call it the 'Spirit of Locarno.'
Real World
At the Locarno Conference in October 1925, Germany voluntarily accepted its western borders with France and Belgium (including the permanent loss of Alsace-Lorraine), in exchange for early Rhineland evacuation and Germany's admission to the League of Nations in 1926 — a stark contrast to the coercion of Versailles.
Exam Focus
Contrast Locarno's voluntary agreements with Versailles's imposed terms — examiners reward this comparison when assessing whether the 1920s represented genuine stabilisation.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
How well did you know this?