Treaty of Versailles
The previous lesson looked at peace treaties. This lesson looks at one of those peace treaties - The Treaty of Versailles. This treaty is extremely important ans many historians argue that this is the main reason Germany started the Second World War. This lesson focused on what the treaty involved and what came out of the treaty that angered Germany so much.
The following are Woodrow Wilson;s 14 points which he expected would be in the Treaty of Versailles. Germany also expected these points to be in the treaty. But as you will see they were not. Some of them were in a smaller form but not as the American Presidnet had expected.
So what came out of the Treaty of Versailles?
The following articles discuss what came out of the treaty of Versailles.
REPARATIONS
Germany was to pay for the damage caused by the war. The figure of £6,600 million was set some time after the signing of the treaty.
MILITARY
1.Army - was to be reduced to 100,000 men and no tanks were allowed
2.Navy - Germany was only allowed 6 ships and no submarines
3.Air force - Germany was not allowed an air force
4.Rhineland - The Rhineland area was to be kept free of German military personnel and weapons
TERRITORY
1.Anschluss - Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria.
2.Land - Germany lost land to a number of other countries. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, Eupen and Malmedy were given to Belgium, North Schleswig was given to Denmark. Land was also taken from Germany and given to Czechoslovakia and Poland. The League of Nations took control of Germany's colonies.
Germany was to pay for the damage caused by the war. The figure of £6,600 million was set some time after the signing of the treaty.
MILITARY
1.Army - was to be reduced to 100,000 men and no tanks were allowed
2.Navy - Germany was only allowed 6 ships and no submarines
3.Air force - Germany was not allowed an air force
4.Rhineland - The Rhineland area was to be kept free of German military personnel and weapons
TERRITORY
1.Anschluss - Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria.
2.Land - Germany lost land to a number of other countries. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, Eupen and Malmedy were given to Belgium, North Schleswig was given to Denmark. Land was also taken from Germany and given to Czechoslovakia and Poland. The League of Nations took control of Germany's colonies.
What was Germany's reaction to the treaty?
1.National Assembly – Herr Schneidermann – made a violent attack on the Treaty of Versailles describing it as a murderous proposal
2.The German newspaper The Berliner Tageblatt stated “the terms mean the end of Germany as a great power.......The military terms are impossible".
3.The German newspaper The Bourse Courier - intolerable.
ASPECTS THAT UPSET THE GERMANS
1.Territory losses far to harsh – esp. Poland in the east – Germany split in two by the Polish corridor.
2.Germans complained that the Allies were trying to bankrupt Germany with high reparation claims
3.Terms worked out in secret and forced upon the Germans
4.All German colonies were taken from her but the Allies kept theirs
5.Germans hated having to accept the blame for the war
6.Hated having to disarm – no guarantee their allied neighbours would do likewise.
HOWEVER GERMANS HAD NO RIGHT TO RUMBLE
1.Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Russia lost:
a) 54% of her industry
b) 34% of her population
c) 89% of her coal mines
d) Fined 6 billion marks
2.Did not weaken Germany that much – Germany was still a large country with plenty of resources.
3.During WW1 German finance minister declared that if Germany won, the Allies would be made to pay for the cost of the war.
4.War guilt – They started the war!
2.The German newspaper The Berliner Tageblatt stated “the terms mean the end of Germany as a great power.......The military terms are impossible".
3.The German newspaper The Bourse Courier - intolerable.
ASPECTS THAT UPSET THE GERMANS
1.Territory losses far to harsh – esp. Poland in the east – Germany split in two by the Polish corridor.
2.Germans complained that the Allies were trying to bankrupt Germany with high reparation claims
3.Terms worked out in secret and forced upon the Germans
4.All German colonies were taken from her but the Allies kept theirs
5.Germans hated having to accept the blame for the war
6.Hated having to disarm – no guarantee their allied neighbours would do likewise.
HOWEVER GERMANS HAD NO RIGHT TO RUMBLE
1.Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Russia lost:
a) 54% of her industry
b) 34% of her population
c) 89% of her coal mines
d) Fined 6 billion marks
2.Did not weaken Germany that much – Germany was still a large country with plenty of resources.
3.During WW1 German finance minister declared that if Germany won, the Allies would be made to pay for the cost of the war.
4.War guilt – They started the war!
Activity 1
Draw the chart on a piece of paper or copy this chart onto your computer. Your job is to research how the Germans were treated under the Treaty of Versailles. Think about land, cost, defense and humiliation. Think of as many points as you can. Once you have done this yourself then share it with a mate and see if they got something that you didn't.
Activity 2
Copy this chart into your textbook. You job is to fill out what you think the opinion of each person would be after seeing the Treaty of Versailles. Pretend that you are the person - how would you feel? Don't just write single word answers, write a good sentence. I have give the first opinion for the German person, see if you can come up with something different.