How did Allied vengeance during the Paris Peace Conference influence the Treaty of Versailles?How did reparations, war guilt, demilitarization, Allied occupation and decolonization contribute to a punitive peace treaty for the Germans?
The Treaty of Versailles (which formally ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers) was one of the post-WWI peace treaties signed at the Paris Peace Conference. The PPC was an approximately year-long series of discussions between diplomats of more than 30 countries on how to deal with Europe's post-WWI situation (especially dealing with the defeated Central Powers). The Paris Peace Treaties seem to refer to post-World War II peace treaties between the Allied Powers and some of the smaller European nations. However, if your textbooks use the phrase "Paris Peace treaties" in the context of World War I, then it probably refers to the series of peace treaties signed at the PPC. President Wilson announced his Fourteen Points in a speech to a joint session of Congress in 1918.
The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, was the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. However, the conditions in the treaty were so punitive upon Germany that many believe the Versailles Treaty laid the groundwork for the eventual rise of Nazis in Germany and the eruption of World War II.
Debated at the Paris Peace Conference
The details of the Versailles Treaty had been debated and finalized at the Paris Peace Conference, which opened on January 18, 1919 - just over two months after the fighting on the Western Front ended. Although many diplomats from the Allied Powers participated, Germany was not invited to the conference. The "big three" who were the most influential in the debates were Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom
On May 7, 1919, the Versailles Treaty was handed over to Germany with the express instructions that they had only three weeks in which to accept the Treaty. Considering that in many ways the Versailles Treaty was meant to punish Germany, Germany of course found much fault with the Versailles Treaty. Although Germany sent back a list of complaints over the Treaty, the Allied Powers ignored most of them.
The Versailles Treaty: A Very Long Document
The Versailles Treaty itself is very long and extensive document, made up of 440 Articles (plus Annexes) which have been divided into 15 parts. The first part of the Versailles Treaty established the League of Nations. Other parts included the terms of military limitations, prisoners of war, finances, access to ports and waterways, and reparations.
Versailles Treaty Terms Spark Controversy
The most controversial aspects of the Versailles Treaty were that Germany was to take full responsibility for the damage caused during World War Article 231), the major land concessions forced upon Germany (including the loss of all her colonies), the limitation of the German army to 100,000 men, and the extremely large sum in reparations Germany was to pay to the Allied Powers.
The terms of the Versailles Treaty were so seemingly hostile to Germany that German Chancellor Philipp Scheidemann resigned rather than sign it. However, Germany realized they had to sign it for they no longer had any military power left to resist.
Versailles Treaty Signed
On June 28, 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Germany's representatives Hermann M
According to French and British wishes, the Treaty of Versailles subjected Germany to strict punitive measures. The Treaty required the new German Government to surrender approximately 10 percent of its prewar territory in Europe and all of its overseas possessions. It placed the harbor city of Danzig (now Gdansk) and the coal-rich Saarland under the administration of the League of Nations, and allowed France to exploit the economic resources of the Saarland until 1935. It limited the German Army and Navy in size, and allowed for the trial of Kaiser Wilhelm II and a number of other high-ranking German officials as war criminals. Under the terms of Article 231 of the Treaty, the Germans accepted responsibility for the war and the liability to pay financial reparations to the Allies. The Inter-Allied Commission determined the amount and presented its findings in 1921. The amount they determined was 132 billion GOLD Reichmarks, or 32 billion U.S. dollars(Inflation Adjusted), on top of the initial $5 billion payment demanded by the Treaty. Germans grew to resent the harsh conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.
Viewpoint: Yes. The harsh terms of the World War I peace treaty created an environment of mistrust, unrest, and economic hardship that provided fertile ground for German political extremism
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a critical factor in the rise of Nazism in Germany. The three major victorious powers of World War I (1914-1918)-Great Britain, France, and the United States imposed terms on the newly established Weimar Republic that succeeded in undermining the young democracy
How did Allied vengeance during the Paris Peace Conference influence the Treaty of Versailles?How did reparations, wa...
Answer Choices 1) the loss of land that reduced the nation by half 2) the reduction of the armed forces 3) the "war guilt clause" which called for reparations 4) the loss of political sovereignty for 20 years5) the Germans actually supported the treaty of Versailles
For Theatre: How did religion influence theatre during the Middle Ages? Where do you see theatre influences in religious rituals and secular ceremonies even today such as weddings, funerals, graduations, homecoming, etc? Please exaplin this in 200 words.