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impacts of the first world war
Effect of second world war on people
Effect of second world war on people
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Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the Allies’ Commander-in-Chief of World War I, once said upon the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, “This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years” (Churchill 7). Looking back on history, one realizes the validity of Foch’s statement. Approximately twenty years after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, another monstrous war overtook Europe. That war, World War II, appeared to have its origins in unresolved disputes from the first war. This raises the question of whether or not the treaty and the war have a strong connection, as Foch predicted they would. While historians do not all agree on the matter, a slight majority argues that the Treaty of Versailles had a pronounced impact on bringing about the war. The treaty enacted unnecessarily rigorous punishments on Germany that greatly angered its citizens to desire retribution. Those injustices provided the perfect arena for the National Socialists, or Nazis, to rise to power in Germany, and inevitably started World War II.
The process of drafting the Treaty of Versailles had questionable methods which aid in explaining some of the problems it caused. On November 11, 1918, Matthias Erzberger, the Secretary of State for Germany, agreed to an armistice with the Allied Powers to bring an end to World War I (Buchanan 70). Germany signed the cease-fire under the belief that the terms of the peace they agreed to would look similar to then-US President Wilson’s proposed fourteen points (Buchanan 107). Wilson’s plan for the treaty encouraged Europe to abandon the grievances the war brought and did not harshly punish Germany as the defeated nation (Stevenson 194). This agreeable answer on how to handle Europe did not last long; in fact, the Allie...
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The signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, marked the end of WW1 and the beginning of severe depression in Germany. The treaty mandated disarmament, heavy reparations, a loss of 15% of German territory, which in turn took 7 million of her citizens, 75% of its iron-ore, its entire Navy, and all merchant men (Siegel 3). The effects of the treaty were devastating, causing severe unemployment (nearly 6 million in Germany) and devaluation of the German mark. Millions lost their life savings and became destitute. Other requirements included "the surrender of goods in vast quantities and the requirement to sign over future commercial opportunities" (Seigel 3). Germany's economy was devastated and Hitler was waiting, hovering in the darkness, to take full advantage of thi...
The mistakes made from World War I were well-defined in the Treaty of Versailles when this “peace pact” required Germany to pay billions in war reparations that ultimately drove Germany into economic shambles, creating the perfect conditions for Hitler to rise and take over with his totalitarian regime. The treaty of Versailles reduced the Germany army to 100,000 men and allotted Saarland, an industrial region of Germany rich in coal and iron, to France. The treaty left Germany handicapped not only physically, but also emotionally after World War I. Furthermore, the T...
Stoessinger, John George. Why Nations Go to War, 8th Edition. San Diego, CA: Thomson Wadsworth 2001.
O'Neill, William L. World War II: A Student Companion. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
World War I was the most destructive and deadly war for its time the world has ever experienced. There was a great amount of effort put into insuring that it would not happen again. At the Paris Peace Conference the ground work was laid for a new safer, and more organized Europe. In doing so it was necessary to instruct new laws, and to reestablish boundaries of countries. This meant that the losers of the war, mostly Germany, would have to suffer the most. The resulting laws agreed on by all the attending countries were known as The Treaty of Versailles. The treaty of Versailles failed to ensure permanent global peace because Germany resented the terms of the treaty. Feeling as if the treaty were unfair, Germany became increasingly set on
“Given these results, the Versailles treaty must be judged one of history’s greatest catastrophes”. The treaty of Versailles was one of the worst treaties or even agreement that the United States and their allies ever agreed to. The treaty of Versailles was the end result of WW1 between the Allies (England, France, Russia, United States) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire). WW1 was the first time in history that multiple nations all over the world fought against each other through alliances and because that caused major blood shed on a scale that was never seen before and is therefore called “The War to End All Wars”. The Allies eventually won the war on 11 November 1918 that was than preceded by the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June
The Origins of the Second World War, by A.J.P. Taylor, proposes and investigates unconventional and widely unaccepted theories as to the underlying causes of World War Two. Taylor is British historian who specialized in 20th century diplomacy, and in his book claims that as a historian his job is to “state the truth” (pg. xi) as he sees it, even if it means disagreeing with existing prejudices. The book was published in 1961, a relatively short time after the war, and as a result of his extreme unbias the work became subject to controversy for many years.
...eaknesses to win their loyalty. Finally, the written agreement of Versailles was purported to represent the peaceful ending to warfare I, however, it became the prelude to a different war. it had been originally an attempt to revive order and supply a peaceful conclusion to warfare I. The sick feelings and economic upheaval that resulted provided the proper climate for Hitler's dominance, in post-war FRG. The contributor’s participants of Versailles had alternative motives behind the peace agreement apart from a peace settlement. Their stingy actions resulted in not solely the economic hardship of FRG, however inflation and state altogether of Europe. The severity of the reparations contained during this document set the stage for history to repeat itself. Therefore the terribly method within which the written agreement of Versailles was forced on the German people.
With the armistice that took effect November 11,1918, the Great War had come to an end, four long years after it had begun. The German military machine had lost the war, and with it, hopes of German dominance in European affairs. Utterly defeated, the new German government (the Kaiser had abdicated at the end of the war) had no choice but to comply with the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, despite the fact that Germany was allowed no say in the terms of the treaty. As a result of this treaty, Germany was stripped of all her colonial possessions as well as valuable continental territories, most importantly, Alsace-Lorraine, the Saar, and the Polish Corridor. Her armed forces were restricted to 100,000 men, and restricted from occupying the Rhineland. Furthermore, Germany was held responsible for the war and therefore had to pay reparations for all d...
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, marks the day that WWI descended into armistice. However, the involved countries reached an agreement as to the events following the war on the 28th of June, 1919. The famous Treaty of Versailles was known for its role in ending war. But it was not known for being a double-edged sword, as the ending of war came with the consequence of causing future war. The Treaty consisted of uncontested biases due to Germany's unconditional surrender. The Allies held a gun to Germany's head, with their trigger finger tense. Each article of the Versailles Treaty only made Germany more restless, until 1933 when Hitler produced his own gun and pointed it at the Allies. The Treaty had a series of unproportional effects upon Germany and its people. It caused a rift between the two sides because of the alliances that it formed, brewing tension. The punishments enforced upon Germany were unrealistically huge and it increased the wish among the Germans for the nullification of the Treaty. Finally, the accumulated hatred amongst the people gave birth to potential for a revolution. The Treaty of Versailles is, therefore, an indirect cause to World War II, because of the alliances it caused, the punishments it enforced, and the hatred it developed.
O’Neill, William L. World War II A Student Companion. 1 ed. William H. Chafe. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Hamilton John. Events Leading to World War I. United States: ABDO Publishing Company, 2004. Print.
World War Two was the most devastating conflict in the history of humanity. It crippled many nations and caused millions of people to die. One of the major causes of this disastrous war was the Treaty of Versailles which ended the First World War. This treaty was destructive towards the Germans. Germany had to pay large amounts of reparations to the Allied nations at the end of World War One resulting in a Great Depression in Germany. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles’ war guilt clause forced Germans to admit full responsibility for starting the war. Furthermore, to gain the support of the German populace, Adolf Hitler adopted an effective propaganda campaign. Adolf Hitler employed a successful propaganda campaign to gain the support of the German people combined with the Treaty of Versailles harsh economic and political sanctions ignited World War Two.
It has been almost a century since the first Paris Peace Conference was hold, but even until now, it is a popular yet also controversial event in the history of the world. The Paris Peace Conference took place in 1919 involving more than 1,000 representatives from over 30 nations. The results of the Conference are five treaties regarding terms that, according to the Conference, shall prevent any upcoming conflicts among nations. Although World War II started only after 15 years, nonetheless, the treaties did function as a buffer between countries. Although many resolutions were discussed, the negotiation of the Conference revolves around four main topics, reparation from the previous war losses or limitations on the main Central Power, Germany, self-recognition, President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the annexation of land.