SOURCE ANALYSIS QUESTIONS Question 1: Using Source Document 1 explain what is meant by the following statements and why they were included in the Treaty of Versailles –
(a) “Germany is forbidden to maintain or construct any fortifications either on the left bank of the Rhine …”
One of the main proponents of the harsh clauses put into the Treaty of Versailles was the French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, who was being pressured by the French public to harshly punish Germany for their actions during the war. One of these was a massive scaling down of all German military infrastructure along Germany’s border with France. This made the French people feel more secure, as it reduced the danger of another similar war.
(b) “The German military
…show more content…
Several clauses in the treaty, in particular Article 231, were responsible for this ill-feeling. Article 231, also known as the “War guilt clause”, placed the entirety of the responsibility for the war on the German government, despite the fact that, in reality, this was not the case. Another key factor in this sentiment was the drastic descaling of the German military. The military was a large part of German culture, as it had been for many years beforehand, and the general public felt that this downsizing of the military was taking away a large part of their …show more content…
The scene in Source 3 depicts an angel snuffing out a candle, marked “militarism”, using a cone labelled “Allied peace terms”. This can be seen as the flame of the German military being extinguished by the Treaty of Versailles.
(b) What does the ‘Angel” represent?
The Angel is representative of the allies, in particular US President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister Lloyd George, and French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. The fact that the allies are represented as “angels” indicates that they were seen as the “good guys”. This is compounded by the fact that the source comes from a British political magazine.
(c) What does the candle represent?
The candle represents the flame of the German military, which is being snuffed out by the allied peace terms from the Treaty of Versailles. The imagery of the candle, which is marked “militarism”, and being supported by an eagle, a traditional symbol of Germany, both attribute to this idea.
(d) What is the political message of the
There is no excuse for the horrible things Nazi Germany did during World War II. But one can get a better idea how that war started by learning about how World War I ended. The Treaty of Versailles was created by the winners of World War I, like France, Great Britain, and the United States, to make peace. So how did it help contribute to an even worse war less than twenty years later? It was mainly because it was too hard on Germany’s territory, military, economy, and national pride.
Hitler's Aims and Actions as the Cause of World War II When considering the reasons for the outbreak of war in 1939 it is easy to place the entire blame on Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy in the late 1930s. One British historian, writing a few years after the end of the war, claimed that ‘the Second World War was Hitler’s personal war, in that he intended it, he prepared for it, he chose the moment for launching it.’ In this assignment it is my intention to show that Hitler’s foreign policy was a major factor in causing the conflict but that other reasons, both long term and short term, need to be recognised as well. Probably the first factor that need considering is the Treaty of Versailles, of 1919.
National leaders from Britain, France the United States and Italy didn’t allow the defeated nations any say in the drafting of the treaty. The terms were severe, unjust and unfair. Germany’s territory and population was reduced. There was a war guilt clause that named Germany the aggressive nation in the war and responsible to make reparations to the Allied nations. This meant that losses and damage had to be paid for by them. The four nations wanted to keep Germany from becoming a threat again. The military was restricted. The Germans felt they were being dictated by the treaty. In 1936, Hitler remilitarized Germany in a violation of the treaty and the Allies did nothing to stop
“The Versailles Treaty limited the German’s army and naval vessels, (no tanks, aircrafts, or poison gases) Germany had to surrender all col...
“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
After the Treaty of Versailles was forced upon the Germans, there were several challenges the Germans had to deal with. Some examples of the cost of the war to Germany was the forfeiting or giving back of land, its coal mines productions were given to France for a 15 year span, and Germany had to limit its army to 100,000 men with its forces not allowed around the French border. In addition to all of this, Germany was forced to accept war guilt as having been solely responsible for World War I. This had a crippling effect on Germany as they did not believe they had really caused or had lost the war. The bitterness from humiliation as well as the poverty this treaty bestowed upon the people was too much for Germany. This would lead to World War II in later years. Adolf Hitler had a plan to handle these problems that the Germans faced as a result of the war. It is probably best described as National Socialism.
World War 1...what is it? Normally when you think about it you must be wondering how on earth am I still alive! World War 1 was also known as The Great War that took place from 1914-1918 within most parts of Europe. Within this informative essay I will be talking about the features, the results, the end, and how World War 1 changed the lives of the Europeans.
Many people in other lands thought that the treaty was a way of making legal the punishment on the Germans and this was in violation of Wilsonian idealism. The peacemakers should have been able to set aside hatred that was built up from the past in order to come up with a more proper and fair settlement. Instead of doing this, they placed the blame on the Germans by forcing them to pay for reparations they couldn't afford, insulting them with the accusation of guilt from the war and taking away their territory. The treaty would only intensify the hatred felt by all the parties involved in the treaty and heighten German nationalism. This was a poor beginning for democracy in Germany and for Wilson's New World.
The Germans thought it unfair, as they persuaded themselves and others that they had not lost. It came as a shock that the conclusion of the reparations clause, under the terms of article 231, demanded that Germany was legally subjected to pay up and accept the “financial burden of putting Europe back together again” (merriment, 1996). The conditions of the treaty given as an ultimatum, to the German democratic parties whom, later were addressed as the November criminals for ‘stabbing Germany in the back’, had no choice but to accept the terms or face invasion. They had to Acquiesce the proposals that “curtailed the power of the nation, deprived it of its prestige, attacked its transitions, and impaired its integrity. (Abel 1938). Consequently, irritated German leaders, wanting to arouse international sympathy, deliberately lead to the mistranslation of article 231, making it refer to Germany’s sole guilt, as opposed to the joint guilt of Germany and her allies, setting off an increasing wave of righteous indignation about the war guilt lie and so with the acrid debate that was arising, the article turned into a war guilt clause enhancing the impression of a charge of German moral
Document D from Mini-Q packet on "How did the Treaty of Versailles help cause World War II?" Hook Exercise from Mini-Q packet on "How did the Treaty of Versailles help cause World War II?"
The French; for example, was one who thought this treaty was too moderate and was highly disappointed by it (“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles”). They wanted to get rid of Germany all together, but on the other hand, the British and Americans wanted to avoid forming pretext for a new war (History.com Staff). Allied countries thought that the treaty was a just punishment to Germany, but in the United States it was received with mixed feelings and reviews (Adams). All responsibility for World War I was given to Germany, and they were ordered to pay reparations (Benson). Germany had been anything except pleased about this, and not to mention they felt utterly embarrassed about the situation (Benson). They also felt completely betrayed by Wilson and the United States (“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles”). Under protest and the threat of an invasion, they signed this document (Benson).
The Treaty of Versailles is an example of how the neglect of principles proposed by the Catholic Church, namely social restoration, just accords, long-term security and physical reconstruction, can lead to lasting global repercussions and future wars. The sanctions were enforced in the hope of slowing German recovery and eliminating future conflict. However, the United States didn’t sign this treaty because we recognized that it didn’t give the Germans a fair deal or promote long-term security (Treaty).
Germany's Objections to the Treaty of Versailles. Subsequent to the German government conceding defeat in World War I. Britain, America and France wrote up a treaty that Germany had no option but to sign it. This treaty was the Treaty of Versailles and was widely considered to be one of the harshest treaties ever written. The The German public obviously had many objections to the terms of the treaty. and this essay will discover what these objections are and how far they are not justified in.
This study will seek to answer the question “How did the Treaty of Versailles during WW1 contribute to further conflict in the middle east?” I chose this topic because since my dad is in the air force he deals with the Middle East on multiple occasions. I thought it would be interesting to study this to see what could have been the cause of the crisis we see today. We could learn ways to handle the Middle East better by basing plans off what we know from WW1.
...ten England while a factory sends legions of bombers to fly over London and scare the ‘frightened ones’ away. The gas-mask-wearing creatures feel the presence of danger, retreating in their shelters. Flying bombers gradually turn into white crosses while the Union Jack drops its stripes to disclose another white yet large cross, which explains the loss of life and the sacrifice made during the World War II. (Urick, 2010) Scarfe’s choice of the colour ‘white’ for the bird in the beginning of the illustration as well as for the crosses in the end, represents in fact the return to a pure and celestial rebirth of the tragic event.