Arguments For The Treaty Of Versailles

Though the treaty of versailles created peace and harmony in many nations after the first world war it left Germany to be humiliated and dishonored and to be worthless as a result Germany revolted, plunging the world into a second world war.

In Document C, it states that Germany “will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property during the period of the belligerency.” They were making Germany pay an impossible amount of money, and only gave Germany thirty years to pay it off. In 1929, the reduced amount was 20 billion, 112 billion gold marks and the value in 2010 US Dollars is 341 billion. This made Germany so bitter because they were held responsible for the WWII and were made to pay back so much money, which later on will make Germany go into

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers signed on June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War 1. However, since the conditions in the treaty were so punitive towards Germany many believe that it was also partly responsible for starting World War 2. Before the treaty was signed President Woodrow Wilson and his opponent in congress, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge debated over the membership in the League of Nations and about the mortality of the treaty. Many debated that the United States should have signed the Treaty of Versailles and joined the League of Nations while others oppose both the treaty and the alliance. I believe that the United States did the right thing by rejecting the Treaty of Versailles, and avoiding the entangling commitments overseas which the alliance would have brought upon us.

World War II was one of the bloodiest wars ever fought. World War II cost over 60 million lives and trillions of dollars. However, the entire war could of been prevented. Many wars in history could have been prevented. Rash decisions ignite wars and change history forever. One example of a rash decision is the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay excessive reparations. This was impossible at the time, as the country was just in a long and expensive war. Another irrational decision was the laws of the League of Nations. The League of Nations was a good idea, but it had flaws. Allowing members to leave the League of Nations at anytime without consequences is an example of a flaw. Germany used this to their advantage and left it in 1933. Finally, the leaders of Europe should not have pacified Hitler, like they did in the Munich Conference in 1938. Changes to the Treaty of Versailles, and the League of Nations, and by not practicing a policy of appeasement against Hitler could have prevented World War II.

The Treaty of Versailles was a truly cruel document and expressed a large dislike for Germany. The document had a myriad of demands and if they weren 't met, then extortion was used to achieve goals. The treaty caused many hardships such as limiting the army down to almost nothing, stopped the building of large ships and took away submarines completely. Also, Great Britain and France collected money for all the damage the war had caused. To pay its war debts the country borrowed money from America, but soon after it stopped when the Great Depression began.2 In result, Germany had it 's very depression that was so severe the money ended up having almost little to no worth.

There is no excuse for the horrible things Nazi Germany did during World War II. However, we get a better idea as to how that war started by learning about how World War I ended. The Versailles Treaty was created by the winners of World War I, like France, Great Britain, and the United States to make peace. How did it help contribute to an even worse war less than twenty years later. The Treaty Of Versailles helped cause World War II by treating Germany harshly. This harsh treatment can be seen in three areas: territorial losses, economic losses and ¨ war guilt.¨

The Treaty of Versailles was unfair because Germany did not attend the Paris Peace Conference. In the conference, representatives from the Allied Powers were present and some from other countries (Doc 1) However, no representative of Germany was there. Therefore, they did not even have a say to what their consequences may be or anything in general. They could not defend themselves. This caused them to feel bitter and angry since in the end they were blamed about everything. This later caused World War 2. The treaty was supposed to conclude to peace but peace did not last.

As Document C states, “...Germany undertakes, that she will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property during the period of Belligerency…”(Doc C). Since Germany was responsible for starting the war, they should be responsible for paying for the damage. But these reparations only angered and humiliated the Germans because it caused a huge economic downfall since these payments were over $300 billion. But in the chart shown in Document C, it states that, in 1933, “Hitler comes to power” and ends “all reparations payments”. Ending these payments made Germans come to like Hitler, giving him more power than before.

Though the amount Germany had to pay in reality was less than the amount stated, they still had to pay over $30 billion in reparations to victorious countries. Other restrictions were placed on Germany, as seen in the Treaty of Versailles, which calls for Germany to cut the size of their army and prohibits Germany from taxing exported goods to Allied Countries that are not also taxed to the rest of the world (Document 1). Germany’s response (Document 4) to this highlights the unfairness present in these requests, “The sum to be paid is to be fixed by our enemies unilaterally, and to admit of subsequent modification and increase…” showing that there is no room for negotiation on Germany’s

World War I was a deadly war spurred on by a greed for economic and political power; violently effecting some twenty seven million people, it topped the charts of casualties. World War II, though, changed the playing field: it was even more deadly in more ways than one. At the end of World War I, the Versailles Treaty was drawn up by the victorious members of the war; this treaty burdened Germany with the fault of causing the war and implanted reparations in which Germany would repay others for damages done. This treaty ignited the spark that fueled World War II; Germany was forced to pay for World War I in land, gold, in giving up a majority of their military strength, and they suffered under the guilt of the war. By placing all of these reparations

I believe this was one of the many factors contributing to Germany's anger because of the amount of payment. As shown on the chart located in (Document C) when “Hitler comes to power,” he “Stops all reparations payment.” I believe the reason they stopped is that Germany felt the treaty and the payments were a sign of injustice. Using the evidence from (Document C) and my beginning statements Germany felt angry by the rules and “obligations” forced upon them such as the “obligation” to pay “within a period of thirty years.” It is not a surprise to see them

The Treaty of Versailles was a controversial treaty, not only because of what it embodied, but what it took to get the Treaty in motion. The Great War, or World War I, lasted between 1914 and 1918. This war occurred over a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, political alliances between nations, ethnic tensions in Europe, and most of all, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Austria-Hungary. With the bloody stalemate continuing without any end, the United States still held its position as a neutral world power, but events, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, caused the United States to recant its neutral position to a position in fighting against Germany. The end of World War I officially ended by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, but wasn't signed by the U.S. Whether this was President Wilson's fault or the Senate's fault, has been questioned over the last decade.

The Treaty of Versailles was to blame the outbreak of WW2. The treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of WW1 signed on 28th July 1919. It ended state of war between Germany and Allied powers. World War I was a global war centered in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. The topics that are discussed in this essay are the terms of the treaty of Versailles, the countries and people involved in the treaty of Versailles, the Germans’ reaction to the Treaty of Versailles, the unfairness of the treaty of Versailles, the advantage of the terms of the treaty of Versailles used by the Nazi party and the climate in Europe like in the lead up to WW2. Overall, the treaty of Versailles was to blame for

The Treaty of Versailles contributed to WWII by severely weakening Germany economically through territorial losses. Before the war Germany was using 139,000,000 tons of coal from their land. Once their industrial land was given away, Germany only had access to about 78,000,000 tons of coal per year. They lost 60,800,000 tons of coal from the lost areas. Germany coal production was reduced by 40%. Germany had lost Alsace and Lorraine, and was returned back to France. The Treaty required Germany to permanently give up its colonies. German colonies included all or part of the modern nations of Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon, Namibia, and Botswana, as well well as Pacific territories such as Samoa and the Marshall Islands. The British took over most of Germany’s overseas colonies. (Doc. A) With all this loss of land how is Germany supposed to pay back all the payments. “...the restoration of the frontiers of 1914 could be achieved only by blood. Only childish and naive minds can lull themselves in the idea that they can bring about a correction of Versailles by wheedling and begging, No nation can remove this hand from tits throat except by the sword.” -Adolf Hitler. Hitler had already thought about war before he had came

With the Treaty of Versailles Germany owed 367 billion over the next 30 years for damage and civilian population. Germany was humiliated and angry, they paid very little in the 1920’s showing resentment of the payments. In 1933 when Hitler comes to power and stops all reparations (Doc c). Hitlers immediate response is to stop all payments breaking the Treaty of Versailles. His immediate response shows how he resented to payments and the other countries control they have over Germany and the humiliation.