German Reaction

• Germans felt that the war guilt should be shared
• they were bitter that Germany was expected to pay for all the damage caused by the war, even though the German economy was severely weakened
• Germans thought it was unfair that despite Wilson's Fourteen Points calling for disarmament, none of the Allies were being forced to disarm
• Germans felt insulted by not being allowed to join the League of Nations
• Germans were angry that their government was not represented at the peace talks and that they were being forced to accept a harsh treaty. Germans did not feel that they had lost the war, so they should not have been treated as a defeated country
• many Germans saw the treaty as an attack on their national pride and identity
• The treaty also meant that Germany would lose territory which made them resentful towards France and Belgium who gained land from Germany
• Some Germans blamed the Weimar Republic for signing such a humiliating treaty and called for a return to authoritarian rule under a strong leader like Hitler
• The loss of territory and population meant that there were fewer workers available to produce goods, leading to high unemployment rates.