Essay 5.

• Essay Question - Treaty of Versailles was criticised by both winners and losers.  How justified was this criticism?
• • 1919 ToV = document in essence to bring balance to Europe after war.
• Draft - 6 months = flawed, losers + victors had drawn short ends, worsening situations, setting stage for another conflict.
• • ToV supposed to provide closure to war/draw up penalties for aggressors(criticised too harsh)
  • Article 231: Germany responsible, subsequent damages that succeeded war -  carry weight of war reparations.
  • Clause = heavily criticised - incredibly unfair/biassed.
  • 132 billion gold marks - reparation.
  • J.M Keynes → reparation cost "counterproductive/excessive."
• • Clause - justifiable from big three perspectives = needed losers to pay for damages.
  • Fr being one of spearheads - found something to criticise, not harsh enough
• • Fr = supporters of harsh terms - denied harsher actions by Br.
  • Fr wanted to cripple Germany to a point where they were no longer a factor
  • J.M Keynes → Policy of Fr to set clock back/undo, since 1870, progress of Germany.
• • Germany's criticisms of reparations = "beyond economic capacity", "slave treaty"
  • Immediate economic problems suffered = prominent war debts/inflation, reparations Yet recovered in 1929
• • Allies made revisions to terms/ aid German economy, criticisms against clause = unjustified.
• • Germany had disarmament/demilitarisation clause (Article 180) - crippled ability to defend 
  • Reduce army to 100k active troops/demilitarise Rhineland. 
  • J.M Keynes → “Such severe penalty, only applied to losing nations”
• • Germany's critique partially justified + victor's reasons = justifiable.
  • Br/Fr witnessed aggressive strategies of Second Reich WWII, 1914 Schlieffen plan
  • Wanted to reduce likelihood of occurrence = restrictions on military potential.
  • E. Mantoux → Lack of army = able to pay off reparations
  • R.J Evans → Germany's alt right wing annexationist program = treaty would not leave them a conqueror
  • R.J Evans → Germans would’ve found it unfair regardless.
• • Article 119 demanded Germany give up overseas possessions/cede 13% land.
• • Most criticised = denial of self-determination
• • Germany argued denial of creation of a union between Austria/Germany was counterproductive to Wilson's 14 points
  • ^ Wholly justified, 14 points proposed stated self-determination was key, 
  • Germany was not allowed to determine own course due to limitations by Fr/Br.
• • Criticised ceding of Danzig to Poland = Allied plan for Poland to have a naval port.
  • Contributing factor = invasion of Poland 1939.
• • Germany was largely justified, as European territorial losses were meant to cripple them
  • However built up resentment that accumulated in nationalism/aggressions 1939.
• A clear winner cannot be obtained from these criticisms, as all the criticisms can be seen as equally justifiable.