The impact of the Treaty of Versailles

• After the First World War, all of the defeated nations were assigned their own peace treaties, comprising reparations terms. The Astro-Hungarian Empire was split up, with new nations created, such as Czechoslovakia, and separate treaties were imposed on Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. However, it was the Treat of Versailles, presented to Germany, which was to shape the course of events in Europe in the coming decades.
• When were the terms of the treaty announced to Germany?

  7 May
• What were the main territorial losses for Germany due to the treaty?

  • 10% of its land
  • All overseas colonies
  • 12.5% of its population
  • 16% of coalfields
  • Almost half of iron and steel industry
• To what size was the German army reduced?

  100,000 men
• What military forces was Germany prohibited from having?

  No air force and a tiny navy
• What did Germany have to accept regarding the war's responsibility?

  Blame for starting the war
• What financial obligation did Germany face after the treaty?

  Pay reparations
• How did Germans generally react to the treaty?

  With outrage
• What misconception did many Germans have about the war's outcome?


  They did not feel they had lost
• What did many Germans believe about their government's actions during the war?

  They agreed to a ceasefire
• Why were Germans angry regarding the Paris Peace Conference?

  Their government was not represented
• What action did the German navy take in protest of the treaty?

  Sank its own ships
• What was the reaction of German leader Ebert to the treaty?

  He reluctantly agreed to accept it
• When was the treaty signed?

  28 June 1919
• What was the position of army commander Hindenburg regarding the war?

  Germany could not possibly win
• What dilemma did Ebert face regarding the treaty and war?

  Inflicting war and certain defeat on his people
• What was the 'war guilt' clause?

  A clause blaming Germany for the war
• Why did Germans dislike the 'war guilt' clause?

  They believed blame should be shared
• What was the consequence of Germany accepting blame for the war?

  Germany was expected to pay reparations
• How did the state of the German economy affect perceptions of reparations?

  People feared reparations would cripple the economy
• What happened when Germany failed to pay reparations in 1922-23?

  French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr
• What was the Ruhr in relation to Germany?

  It was Germany's main industrial area
• Was the occupation of the Ruhr legal under the treaty?

  Yes, it was completely legal
• How did the reparations payments impact the German population?

  They caused fear of economic collapse
• Disarmament

  The disarmament terms upset Germans. An army of 100,000 was very small for a country of Germany’s size and the army was a symbol of German pride. Despite Wilson’s Fourteen Points calling for disarmament, none of the Allies disarmed to the extent that Germany was disarmed in the 1920s. It is no great surprise that Adolf Hitler received widespread approval for his actions when he rebuilt Germany’s armed forces in 1935.
• German territories

  Germany certainly lost a lot of territory. This was a major blow to German pride, and to its economy. Both the Saar and Upper Silesia were important industrial areas. Meanwhile, as Germany was losing land, the British and French were increasing their empires by taking control of German and Turkish territories in Africa and the Middle East
• The Fourteen Points were not reflected in the treaty

  To most Germans, the treatment of Germany was not in keeping with Wilson’s Fourteen Points. For example, while self-determination was given to countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, German-speaking peoples were being divided by the terms forbidding anschluss with Austria or hived off into new countries such as Czechoslovakia to be ruled by non-Germans.

  Germany felt further insulted by not being invited to join the League of Nations, an organisation which had been set up in the last of the Fourteen Points
• What was the German complaint about the Treaty of Versailles?

  It fell on deaf ears
• What did many people feel about Germany's treatment of Russia?

  Germany operated a double standard
• How did the Treaty of Versailles compare to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  Versailles was less harsh than Brest-Litovsk
• What were the economic problems of Germany described in the material?

  They were partly self-inflicted
• How did other states manage their war debts compared to Germany?

  They raised taxes to pay for the war
• What was the German government's plan to pay war debts?

  To extract reparations from defeated states
• What is the Treaty of Versailles known for?

  It is one of history's most controversial events
• Why was the Treaty of Versailles criticized by Germans in 1919?

  It was blamed for Germany's major problems
• What major problems did Germany face after the Treaty of Versailles?

  Revolution, strikes, invasion, hyperinflation
• Who were the Big Three involved in the Treaty of Versailles?

  Clemenceau, Lloyd George, Wilson
• What was Clemenceau's main issue with the Treaty of Versailles?

  It was not harsh enough for many French people
• What happened to Clemenceau in 1920?

  He was voted out in a general election
• How did Lloyd George feel about the Treaty of Versailles later on?

  He described it as 'a great pity'