IMPACT OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

 War Guilt  ‘The Allied governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied governments and their peoples have been subjected as a result of the war.’ Clause 231, Treaty of Versailles (1919) Key Point  Reparations  Germany had to pay £6600 million to the Allies for the damage caused by the war.  German Territories and Colonies  Germany’s overseas empire was taken away and their colonies given to the France and Britain controlled League of Nations  Germany’s European boarders were reduced significantly  Germany was banned for joining together with its former ally Austria. KEY TERMS OF TREATY

 Germany’s Armed Forces  The size and power of the German army was significantly restricted  Army limited to 100,000 men  Conscription banned  No armoured vehicles, submarines or aircraft  Rhineland became a demilitarised zone. This meant that no German troops were allowed into the area Key Point  League of Nations  The League of Nations was set up as an ‘international police force’ KEY TERMS OF TREATY

 The terms of the Treaty were announced in 7 th May to a horrified German nation.  Germany was to lose:  10% of its land  All of its overseas colonies  12.5% of its population (from re- organising Germany’s European borders)  16% of its coalfields and almost half of its iron and steel industry (located in the land lost – in particular the Rhineland)  Army reduced to 100,000 men, no air force and only a tiny navy GERMAN REACTIONS TO THE TREATY “Today in the Hall of Mirrors the disgraceful treaty is being signed. Do not forget it! The German people will, with unceasing labour, press forward to reconquer the place among the nations to which it is entitled.” From ‘Deutsche Zeitung’ (German News) on the day the treaty was signed

 The overall reaction of Germans was horror and outrage.  They felt that they had not started the war.  They did not even feel they had lost the war.  In 1919 many Germans did not really understand how bad Germany’s military situation had been at the end of the war.  They believed that the German government had simply agreed to a ceasefire, and that therefore Germany should have been at the Paris Peace Conference to negotiate peace.  They felt that it should not have been treated as a defeated state.  They were angry that their government was not represented at the talks that they were being forced to accept a harsh treaty without any choice or even a comment. GERMAN REACTIONS TO THE TREATY

 At first the new government refused to sign the Treaty and the German navy sank its own ships in protest.  At one stage it looked like war may break out again.  German Chancellor Ebert consulted the army commander, Hindenburg, who made it clear that Germany could not possibly win, but indicated that as a soldier her would prefer to die trying/fighting.  After consultation with military leaders, German leader Ebert reluctantly accepted the terms of the Treaty and it was signed on the 28 th June GERMAN REACTIONS TO THE TREATY

 In 1919 Ebert’s government was very fragile. When he agreed to the Treaty, it tipped Germany into chaos.  Ebert’s right-wing opponents could not bear the Treaty and they attempted revolution against him.  Called the Kapp Putsch, was defeated by a general strike by Berlin’s workers.  Germany fell behind on its reparation payments in 1922  In 1923 French and Belgium soldiers entered the Ruhr region (Rhineland) and simply took what was owed to them in the form of raw materials and goods.  This was legal under the Treaty of Versailles  The government ordered workers to go on strike so that they were not producing anything for the French to take.  The French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers and expelling over 100,000 protesters from the region  More importantly, the strike meant that Germany had no goods to trade, and no money to buy things with. IMPACT OF THE TREATY ON GERMANY