The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany

519 Words2 Pages

The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany

The Treaty of Versailles was received very badly within Germany. The

nation had been blamed entirely for the first world war and had been

forced to pay compensation to the allies under the war guilt clause of

the treaty. The war guilt clauses not only made the Germans accept

responsibility for the war but also cost them dearly. 10% of German

lands were lost as a result, all of Germany's overseas colonies were

taken away and shared between the allies and a massive 12.5% of the

German population found itself living outside of the new German

borders. These terms had several very dramatic consequences on

Germany.

· Initially they refused to sign the treaty and opted to scuttle the

fleet in protest.

· The economy was ruined as much of the produce and profit had to be

sent to the allies as reparations payments. This meant that the German

economy was unable to recover itself.

· The disarmament of the armed forces was viewed as an embarrassment

and the Germans felt...

Open Document