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Evaluate the effects of the Versailles Treaty
Effects of the Treaty of Versailles on the world
Treaty of Versailles impact on German politics
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Treaty of Versailles Document Review War is never a one sided conflict. Between 1914 and 1918, a war that most people thought would last only a few months erupted across Europe and killed over seventeen million people. The Treaty of Versailles was essentially the document that ended the bloody war. It was written by the victorious Allies who attempted with the document to end all wars permanently. However, its requirements and stipulations placed virtually all responsibility for the “Great War” on Germany. Unfortunately as a result, within twenty years, World War II began and lasted for six years longer than World War I and was even more deadly. The Treaty of Versailles helped to cause World …show more content…
Due to geography, France suffered the most casualties of all Allied nations during the war and much of the trench warfare and destruction of property was on French soil. France was also the only Allied nation bordering Germany. In short, France wanted revenge. Germany would be forced to bear the responsibility for all of the Central Powers. Germany (and the now divided Austria-Hungary) had been the most powerful, and France wanted to insure that it was weakened so that another similar situation in the future was impossible. President Wilson attempted to be the voice of reason. His goal was to promote global safety. However, his point of view was “greatly” diminished because of the “great” ocean that separated (protected) the US from Europe. With some tempering by the British, the Treaty of Versailles seemingly achieved the goals of the French in insuring that Germany would pay monetarily for the damage done and militarily for their unfounded aggression towards neighboring countries. Its real legacy however, is World War …show more content…
The victorious nations like France and Belgium were justified in trying to establish rules that would prevent Germany from becoming a military menace again. After all, Germany did invade these two countries. But the sanctions were so severe that the Germans felt insecure and vulnerable to possible outside threats. Germany was given a cap of only 100,000 troops with no reserves and a very small navy.
The reparations articles in the Treaty of Versailles crippled the German economy and brought great instability to the country. The reparations, which were outlined by Articles 232 and 233 of the treaty, were meant to force Germany to pay for damage done to the civilians and property of the Allied nations during the war. The final total amount of the reparations was the equivalent of 341-432 million dollars in current US currency. Germany did not have the resources or funds after the war to make the payments.
Another critical way that the Treaty of Versailles failed and contributed to World War II was how it attempted to humiliate and humble all of the German people. The Serbian/Austro-Hungarian situation was never addressed in the document. This instilled a sense of
Article 232 of the treaty states “the (Allies)...require, and Germany undertakes, that she will make compensation for all the damage done to civilian population of the Allied and Associated Power and to their property during the period of the belligerency...”(Document C). The payments were to begin May 1, 1921 and they should be finished by May 1, 1951. The reduced amount Germany was required to pay was 112 billion gold marks which is equivalent to 341 billion U.S. dollars. The original reparation was 132 billion gold marks. In the 1920’s, the Germans were angry and didn’t pay any. in 1929, they paid only 2 billion marks, Then finally in 1933 the payments stopped when Hitler took power (Document
The First World War and Why It Wasn't The War to End All Wars The allies, following great losses especially Britan and France, were keen to prevent such a tragedy from re-occuring, they did this by not preventing Germany from rearmaring, they also didn't stick to what they planned to in the treaty of Versailes. Britan and France seemed more concerned with the spread of communism then what Hitlar was doing. Both Britan and France remembered the horrific experences of the first world war. Hitlar believed that Germany would become a great nation again under his rule. People thought that the treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany, once a proud nation, now under the control of a foreign nation, helpless to do anything to stop.
The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to end in peace but instead it ended in disaster . The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28,1919 (exactly 5 years after Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated), the treaty was created in hope that it would stabilize Europe and ensure that another catastrophic war like World War 1 would never happen again. Although the Versailles Treaty didn’t cause World War 2 it did have a great affect on it, by taking away land, limiting Germany’s military, and making Germany pay for all the damages done after World War 1.
What started with an assassination of an Austrian prince unpopular in with royalty in Vienna and plotters in Belgrade ended in war. Four years of artillery, machine guns, and poison gas had ruined the countryside of Europe. Woodrow Wilson put the blame for dead millions at the feet of secret diplomacy, excessive armament, imperialism, and the lack of international cooperation. His plan for a lasting peace was presented to the world in the form of the Fourteen Points, some of which were present in the final plan for peace, the Treaty of Versailles, which faced internal opposition at home. It was the strength of this opposition, from self or fawning-historian labeled "progressives" to conservatives and isolationists, in conjunction with the intractability and incompetence of President Wilson that encouraged the Senate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles is a cause of World War II because of the restrictions it placed on Germany as the alleged sole aggressor of the war. The war reparation totaled $98 billion, and under Clause 231 Germany was forced to take the entire load onto her ruined economy and attempt to repay the debt starting with an initial $5 billion payment. In terms of military, Germany was limited to a 100,000 man army, with her navy stripped to the level of a coast guard, she was allowed no heavy artillery, no weapons of mass destruction and the border with France became a demilitarized zone for 15 years following the signing of the treaty on June 28 1919. Germany also lost all her territories in Africa and became a mandate of the Allied Forces, those living in mandated zones could participate in “self-determination” after the Allies taught them how to be a democracy (...
At the end of World War One, Germany was required to pay a large sum of money to the Allies consequently resulting in the German Depression. The sum Germany had to pay was set after the Treaty of Versailles was enacted at approximately six billion, six hundred million – twenty-two billion pounds, (World War Two – Causes, Alan Hall, 2010). The large amount of reparations that Germany had to pay resulted in a depression and angered the Germans because they thought it was an excessive amount of money to pay, (World War Two – Causes) The Germans hatred of the Treaty of Versailles was of significant importance in propelling the Nazis to power. Germany could not pay their reparations and was forced into a depression, (World War II – Causes). The Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of its economic production and its available employments, (World War II – Causes). The German Depr...
“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 Treaty of Versailles only partly helped Hitler become chancellor. On 28 June 1919, Germany signed the Treaty with the allies, losing 10% of her land. The German army was reduced to 100,000 men and Germany had to pay reparations of £6,600 million. Hitler blamed the Treaty for Germany's problems. When Germany failed to pay a reparation instalment in 1922, French and Belgian troops entered German soil and seized goods.
middle of paper ... ... The Treaty of Versailles, initially created to keep peace in Europe and ensure that another war like World War I wouldn’t happen again, had in fact, backfired and spiraled the world down into a deeper, bloodier battle. The treaty discriminated strongly against Germany, with the loss of territories, military restrictions, economic reparations, and the War Guilt Clause. It caused humiliation and anger within Germany, and led to Hitler and the Nazi Party coming to power.
The Treaty of Versailles was a violation of Wilson’s ideals. The Treaty is one of the most important agreements (or disagreements) that shaped 20th century Europe socially and physically. Woodrow Wilson on January 22, 1917 in an address to the United States Senate called for a peace without victors, but the Treaty signed by the participating nations was everything but that. The blame for the war was placed on Germany and justified the reparations that were outlined by the treaty for the war. The terms of the treaty were very harsh to the Germans and they took on great resentment. It was a fragile peace agreement that would be used as fuel to keep hostilities going 20 years later.
World War I was ultimately ended in 1918 after the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Peace settlements were signed on June 28, 1918 at the Hall of Mirror in Versailles, Paris. The Treaty was an agreement among the United States, Great Britain, and France. Woodrow Wilson, George Clemenceau, and David Lloyd, who represented the "Big Three" countries, collaborated in negotiating the Treaty. The Treaty of Versailles was designed to weaken Germany and give Germany full blame for causing the war. The Treaty implemented massive reparations to Germany which would obliterate Germany's economy, notwithstanding the millions of dead allied soldiers. The settlement strictly limited the German's military. Germans were additionally forced to depart from their homes in Russia, Poland, and Alsace-Lorraine and return to Germany or Austria. Furthermore Germany had to give back any land belonging to other countries. With no alternative, Germany signed the peace settlements. The Treaty of Versailles was undoubtedly justified, Germany was positively the main instigator of the war and its excessive brutality of fighting provoked the war more particularly. Thus, making the amends to Germany was rational because of all the destruction Germany had triggered.
Finally, the accumulated hatred amongst the people gave birth to the 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. The coalitions brought by the Versailles Treaty contributed greatly to starting WWII. The Treaty was responsible for the formation of the Allies. However, when made, these alliances were based on promises from the superpowers, particularly France.
...ial elements.” (“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles”) Many problems were raised because of this treaty, but Germany having to pay reparations for all wrong doings had to be one of the bigger ones (History.com Staff). “When asked about ultimate reasons for the failure of the Weimar Republic, German Politician replied: ‘Versailles and Moscow’.” (“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles”) Moscow because of communist activity and Versailles because of the harsh effects it had on “the viability and domestic authority of the German democracy” (“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles”).
...ace, jus ad bellum lists multiple criteria for ending a war in a way that would facilitate a stable truce between nations. At the end of World War I in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles placed complete responsibility for the war on the German people (Treaty). The tension formed by this treaty eventually led to Hitler’s rise to power and the initiation of World War II.
The war reparation resolution was proposed by both Australia and the United Kingdom, and eventually became Article 231 of Treaty of Versailles. The article assigned complete blame for the war to Germany, required Germany to accept full responsibilities for causing the war, and must pay a set of reparation appointed by the Great Powers. The reparation impositions were considered to be retaliation to the reparation forced upon France by Germany in the Treaty of Frankfurt after the Franco-Prussian War. The recompense form of the war varies among different forms, from coal, steel, and gold, to intellectual property. According to the treaty, Germany will finish paying off the reparation in year 2020. The reparation, no doubt, is only another indirect way of limiting Germany's growth in any field possible and has added another pair of shackle on the already weakened Germany economy, some historians beli...