treaty of versailles (1919)

• The Treaty of Versailles imposed heavy financial penalties on Germany, including paying $6 billion in war damages and an additional $33 billion in reparations over time.
• Germany lost territory, including Alsace-Lorraine, which had been taken from France during World War I.
• German colonies were divided among other countries, with Britain taking control of Tanganyika and South Africa gaining control of German South West Africa.
• The Rhineland region along the French border was demilitarized and occupied by Allied troops for 15 years as a security measure.
• Hungary was stripped of two thirds of its land and population, while Bulgaria ceded territories to Greece and Romania.
• The Saarland region was placed under League of Nations control for 15 years, with coal revenues going towards German reparations payments.
• The Saarland region was placed under League of Nations administration for 15 years to determine whether it would be returned to Germany or become part of France.
• The treaty limited the size of the German army and navy, prohibited the production of chemical weapons, and banned submarine warfare.
• The treaty required Germany to accept responsibility for causing World War I and acknowledge that they had started the conflict.
• Germany lost territory including Alsace-Lorraine, Eupen-Malmedy, Upper Silesia, and Memel.
• The treaty imposed heavy financial penalties on Germany, requiring them to pay $6.6 billion in reparations over a period of 42 years.
• The treaty also included provisions related to disarmament, demilitarization, and limitations on military conscription.
• The treaty established the League of Nations as an international organization aimed at promoting peace and preventing future wars.
• The treaty was ratified by the German National Assembly on August 23, 1919.
• The treaty was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France.
• The treaty was negotiated during the Paris Peace Conference, which brought together representatives from the major powers involved in the war.
• The treaty also placed restrictions on Germany's ability to manufacture weapons and prohibited it from having an air force or submarines.
• The treaty required Germany to reduce its armed forces significantly and prohibited it from maintaining certain types of weapons.
• Terms of the Treary of Versailles

  -Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies-In 1921, reparations were eventually fixed at 136,000 million marks (£6.6 billion)
• Terms of Treaty of Versailles

  -Germany lost all its colonies-The 11 German colonies in Africa and the far East were given to victorious countries as ‘mandates’
• Terms of Treaty of Versailles 1919

  -Germany military strength was cut-The army was limited to 100,000 men, with no heavy artillery, to be used within Germany-navy was limited to six battleships, six cruisers, 12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines were allowed, the rest of the fleet was destroyed (German Navy didnt want Allies to indulge). No air force was allowed, existing air force was destroyed. The Rhineland- German land which bordered France was demilitarise, German army was not allowed in and Allied troops were stationed there until 1930
• Germany lost land as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, including Alsace and Lorraine which were lost to France, Eupen and Malmedy which were lost to Belgium, Posen and West Prussia which were lost to Poland.
• The loss of Posen and West Prussia put a million Germans under Polish rule. It also divided Germany in two, cutting East Prussia of from the rest of the country
• Plebiscites (public votes) had to take place in other areas to decide whether they should leave Germany, for example, Upper Silesia voted to become part of Poland and North Schleswig decided to become part of Denmark.
• The German port of Danzig became an independent international city as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.
• Germany lost 10% of its population and 13% of its European territories, all of its property and investments, and 15% of its coal and almost 50% of its iron reserves as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.
• Clause 231- guilt clause, accept blame