| Abstract: | The Rhineland Agreement, which was formed at the Paris Peace negotiations in 1919, was in essence a compromise, lacking overall cohesion. Its implementation involved extensive practical difficulties for the British government. This paper examines the events surrounding the Kapp Putsch in 1920, the London Schedule of Payments in 1921 and the occupation of the Ruhr in 1923. It shows how the British zone of occupation in the Rhineland represented an area of vulnerability, exposing Britain to the dynamics of European politics and the increase in tension between France and Germany throughout the early 1920s. Analysis of these case studies also provides an insight into the impact of the Rhineland zone on Britain's policy-making process and the shift towards a more symbiotic relationship between the periphery and Whitehall. |
