How Did The Versailles Treaty Help The World War II?

When answering how the Nazi party came to rule in Germany, one must look at foreign policy in respect to the Versailles Treaty during the Second Reich. Economically, due to the settlement at Versailles, Germany would be hit by massive inflation as well as a crippling depression under the Weimar Republic. This made many people distrust the newly created Weimar Republic. Socially, Germans generally blamed the government, as well as the Treaty of Versailles for the hard times that they suffered after the First World War. This social environment gave rise to the Nazi movement and many other parties that opposes the treaty and the Weimar Republic alike.

There are many who claim that the Treaty of Versailles helped cause and foster the emergence of Nazism. The treaty is “cited for causing the successive financial crises that destabilized the Weimar Republic. Its…“War Guilt clause,” is seen as an insult to national pride permanently discrediting the Republic that accepted it”. During the 1920s and 1930s, the War Guilt Clause, almost impossibly high reparation payments, and German demilitarization fostered resentment in Germany that became a platform right wing parties such as the Nazis were able to use to gain power. Germans felt like they had suffered as much as everyone else during WWI and could not accept that they were being blamed for the war.

War materials were forbidden and highly restrictive rules were imposed upon the military. The most humiliating article of the treaty, known as the War Guilt Clause, blamed Germany for the war and forced the Germans to pay an overwhelming sum of $35 billion for damage caused by the war. Though the Allies wanted to weaken Germany so that it could never wage war again, many world leaders feared that an overly punitive treaty could provoke feelings of revenge in Germany and consequently plunge Europe into yet another bloody war. (Beck 425-426) While German outrage was expected, the horrors that resulted from the signing of the treaty had consequences that left a legacy on the world. Though the Treaty of Versailles aimed to create a lasting peace after World War I, in Germany it led to the lack of faith in the government, an economic crisis, and the loss of considerable amounts of land, which in effect directly led to the rise of the fascist Nazi Party.

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).

Treaty of Versailles' Role in Hitler's Rise to Power The Treaty of Versailles was important to Hitler's rise to power because, it was the cause of Germany's downfall. Hitler felt very strongly about the Treaty of Versailles and thought the terms were unfair towards Germany. Many German people also despised the treaty, and wanted something done about it. Hitler was there to turn to. He wanted to abolish the treaty and all of it terms.

Then, in Article 231 and Article 232 it shows a war guilt clause. They state that the Germans are responsible for all the damage and/or losses that came to be from the World War 1. To add on, Germany was said to be doing “wrong” and France had all the rights to take away Alsace and Lorraine. From this one could infer like what was said previously in which Germany was upset. From Hitler’s speech (doc 3) it is shown from Hitler’s point of view, which is obviously a very bias point of view in which everything that happened was unfair.

In conclusion, The Treaty of Versailles was unquestionably the reason why World War II started. The Treaty was unreasonably vicious to the Germans by forcing them to give up valuable territory. Also, the Treaty restricted the number of troops Germany was allowed to have. Finally, the Treaty of Versailles imposed severe reparations on Germany that just angered the Germans. This bold treaty gave rise to Hitler who ignored the soldier restrictions and immediately stopped all reparation payments.

All German colonies were given to the allies, and Austria was forbidden to unite with Germany. Germany had to pay £6600 million in reparations. The terms of the treaty were thought of asunfair by many, if not all Germans. Woodrow Wilson (the American president) believed that the terms were too harsh, but the British and French citizens wanted to seek revenge. The treaty of Versailles was one of the largest factors in causing the Second World War because it sparked so much German hatred.

Another reason was the Treaty of Versailles. This was the treaty that was signed at the end of World War 1. This treaty outlined the rules that Germany must follow because of their defeat by Britain and France. Many Germans were angered by the treaty, for most of the rules in the treaty were unfair and Germany lost a great amount of wealth. However, One of the cruelest reasons for the war was Hitler's racist hate for Jews.

The majority of Europe (especially France and Britain) and America were angry towards Germany for the war, and therefore created the Treaty of Versailles. The main points of the treaty blamed Germany for the war (article 231), made Germany harshly cut down their military forces, forced Germany give much of their land to different countries and finally Germany had to pay £6,600 million in reparations. Woodrow Wilson created the fourteen points to stop himself and America from getting into war again. The fourteenth point was to create a League of Nations to stop future wars. Any aggressive countries would be sanctioned by all the League's members and would be attacked as a last resort.