...To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a cause of WWII? Treaty of Versailles was the main trigger that sparked the start of the most devastating war in human history. Due to its enforcement and terms, it caused the ideological fascist movement after WWI, German’s patriotism, and the violent expansion of Germany’s economy which violated terms of the treaty, ultimately resulting to World War II. After WWI the ideology of the Fascist movement became influential in Germany in reaction to the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty. Fascistic views of political violence, war, and imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation were appealed to the citizens (Wikipedia, 2014). This was in response to the Treaty of Versailles. After WWI, Germany was on a road to repair, but they were handicapped, and weakened by the terms of the treaty (History Learning Site, 2000). They had no major military or strong industry to support the growth of the country (Hikman, n.d.). The people were angered and infuriated by the ruinous effect of the Treaty. Hence, the nation realised that in order to regain the national strength, Germany would need to take on board a new form of political system that was iron-fisted and disregard anything but the restoration of pride (English Online, n.d.). This brought the rise of Hitler, the Nazi Party and Fascism. Adolf Hitler was a radical advocate who fought to overturn the harsh Treaty and restore Germany to her former glory (English Online, n.d.)....
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...refereed it because of the Treaty of Versailles which most of the people agreed one that it was too unfair for Germany and that their anger was going to appear sooner or later. The people thought it will create fascism. Some historians saw that the failure of The League of Nations was also another factor. The Treaty of Versailles was the origin of all the problems that occurred to ignite the WWII. The treaty of Versailles was originally done to spread peace between countries and cool down the aggression that was spreading all over Europe. The treaty was believed to be an agreement between the winning sides of World War 1 powers. They were meeting up to decide what they were going to do with the losing allies of the war. They were mainly Germany and Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. It was supposed to make Germany literally a neutral country because of all the power it was abusing which was beginning to affect the whole balance of power in Europe. The power that Germany was beginning to acquire was going to have a negative effect on all the European countries that had power and didn’t want it to be loosened at all. As with Germany rising to more and more powerful state, that would mean they would have to start powering up their armies which will cost them more money that they didn’t have at the moment. All of Europe wanted Germany to feel guilty because they were the ones who really started WWI. The whole world was against Germany because they were really...
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...Introduction The purpose of this essay is to investigate and explain how the Treaty of Versailles affected the German economy. I find this subject relevant since it is a big event in European history. During the years after the First World War Germany had a lot of debts and faced a lot of reparation costs. Even though the meaning of most of the peace treaties was to encourage the world economy, re-build cities and maintain peace, not a lot of these goals were fulfilled. Background The First World War was a military conflict that included a lot of countries around the world. The war started at June 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. The war was played out between the great power countries and they were divided in to two parts, the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire) and the Entente (Russia, Great Britain, France and USA). When the war ended in 1918, negations began to try to come up with solutions to all the problems and crises that had been caused by the war. All the countries involved in the war gathered in France in 1919 to start the peace negotiations. An important treaty written during these negotiations was the Treaty Of Versailles. It was signed by Germany and the Entente.1 The Demands Germany was seen as being head responsible for the upcoming of WW1 and had caused the most damage to other countries; therefor the Treaty of Versailles included numerous demands that Germany had to obey. France got permission to occupy the coal-mines in...
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...Weimar, Germany to replace the imperial form of government, which is known as Weimar Republic. This Republic lasted until 1933, and was destroyed by Hitler. It went to three stages. In the first stage, which was from 1919-23, there was instability when the republic was struggling to survive. In the second stage, from 1923-29, there was stability when Gustav Streseman was the leading politician. This stability was due to the Dawes plan of 1924 in which USA provided huge loans. In the third or last stage, from 1929-33 there was instability again which led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The short term cause was the world economic crisis, which has disastrous effects on Germany, resulting in 6.5 million unemployed. This sudden situation made the government unable to cope with the situation and by the end of 1923 the Weimar republic seemed on the verge of collapse. There were several long term causes for that. Some of them were: 1. It had a number of disadvantages from the beginning the Republic was formed. a. It had accepted the humiliation and unpopular treaty of Versailles Treaty: The republic was not strong enough to reject the defeat and dishonour. b. There was a traditional lack of respect for democratic government: The Germans always favoured the army, and thought that the Democrats had ‘stabbed them in the back’ after signing the treaty of Versailles but what they did not focus on was that Kaiser was still in power when the treaty of Versailles was signed...
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...injured officer in hospital. He set off again by car, but the driver was not told the route had change. Some minutes later a man called Gavrilo Princip shot them and died. 2_ The great powers in 1914. If see the map the six most important and powerful countries in Europe were split into two armed groups. The triple Alliance. Central powers. Germany: was made up of many small states that had united and become one country only as recently as 1871. Otto von Bismarck, who was the Chancelor of the newly united Germany, firmly believed that all questions of the day could be solved by military strength by blood and iron. The stong national feeling in Germany and its wealth from industry made the Germans keen to play a leading part in world affairs. Kaiser Wilhelm II was impatient to make Germany the leading country in Europe. Austria-Hungary: the empire of Austria-Hungary was Germany´s oldest ally. German was the language of Government, but each group spoke its own language and had its own customs. This made the empire difficult to rule. Many of this people (Austrians, Slovacks, Serbs, Croats) were demanding their independence. In Germany the Kaiser had ambitions to build a railway all the way from Berlin to Baghdad. He supported the Austrians in their Balkan plans. Italy: it was the weakest of all the central powers. They were looking for new areas to...
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...question of Germany getting back its coal producing Saar region – a region just south of independent Luxembourg, and about as big. The treaty that had ended World War I, signed at Versailles, had entrusted the Saar region to the League of Nations and an occupation by France, and a plebiscite was to decide the region's future. A little over two thousand people (0.4 percent) in the Saar voted to join France; nine percent voted to remain under the League of Nations; and ninety percent voted to join Germany. Hitler responded by saying he was proud of the German people. He announced that Germany had no more territorial claims against France (in other words no claim on Alsace and Lorraine) and he spoke of hope that the decision regarding the Saar was a decisive step on the road to gradual reconciliation with Germany's former enemies. Instead of moving closer to reconciliation, as the year progressed Europe moved closer to war. In 1935 Britain announced an increase in armaments, and the French increased conscripted military service from one to two years because of a shortage of young men of draft age. Hitler said he was responding to the failure of other European powers to disarm and to the Soviet Union having enlarged its military forces. He announced to the world that Germany was rearming, that he was establishing military conscription, enlarging Germany's army to thirty-six divisions and increasing Germany's airforce. Germany's rearmament was in violation of the Versailles Treaty, which...
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...United States History 2 Final Review Guide Part I: Multiple Choice Chapter 20 ● Results of the Treaty of Versailles: - The Treaty of Versailles was signed after WWI in the palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919. Its goals were to "clean up the mess" after the war. The Treaty reestablished many boundaries and borders. Colonies, namely Germany's, were split among the Allied nations. Germany was disarmed since they were considered to be a threat by the rest of the world. Germany was also forced to take full responsibility for WWI, and were charged billions of dollars, which destroyed their economy. In the long run, the Treaty did more harm than good. Due to all the problems the Treaty caused for Germany, the country was left in a bad mood and was definitely looking at the rest of the world with a vengeful eye. In a way, it could be said that the Treaty of Versailles indirectly led to WWII. ● Explain the policy of Imperialism: - Simply put, imperialism is the quest for colonial empires. Countries go to other places in the world and claim them as their own. Countries imperialized for many reasons. Some countries wanted to establish military bases. An example of this is Hawaii, which the United States took over and used as a naval base. Other reasons countries imperialized were to gain global prestige, as well as to expand their territory. ● President Wilson's rules for peace after WWI: - After the war, President Woodrow Wilson sought to repair...
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...The League of Nations In this module you will learn: The FOUR aims of the League of Nations [SIDE]. How many members the League had in 1919 and in the 1930s. The names of THREE countries who weren’t members of the League (and why). the four main members of the league. Four strengths of the League. THREE weaknesses of the League. FOUR powers of the League. EIGHT parts of the League’s organisation. NINE successes of the League in the 1920s. FOUR failures of the League in the 1920s. TWO failures of the League in the 1930s – and their effect on the League. SEVEN reasons why the League failed in the 1930s [WAS DUMB]. You must do the following written work: A spidergram showing the main aims of the League. Written notes on the League’s powers. Written notes on the League’s organisation. An essay: ‘How strong was the League of Nations?’ Written notes on the work done by the League. Written notes on Manchuria, 1931 Written notes on Abyssinia, 1935 A 35-word ‘last word’ comment on the League. Written answers to 15 questions on the League. Have you read: Peter Moss, History Alive 4, page 29. T Rea and J Wright, International Relations, chapter 4. Christopher Culpin, Making History, chapter 11. J Traynor and I Dawson, The Struggle for Peace, chapter 5. N deMarco and R Radway, The Twentieth Century, pages 148–155. | | |Source A | |The League of Nations ...
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...How did the Nazis influence WWII? More like how didn’t they. They started World War II. Adolf Hitler didn’t start it himself though. It was the whole Nazi party. The whole thing started because Hitler started going against the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazis did a lot before England and France reacted. They were still suffering from the effects of WWI, so they just stood back and watched. That was until the Nazis invaded Poland, that is when Churchill declared war on Germany. The Germans were also upset by the loss of World War I, but the thing that made them the maddest, is the punishment enforced on them as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. Such as redistribution of territory, reduction of Germany's fighting power and imposition of harsh conditions, which meant Germany, had to pay 6600 million-pound to the Allies in 1921. Germany thought that the punishment was too harsh. Hitler’s rule started on a night in 1932. Then German President Paul von Hindenburg was awoken with the news that he had defeated Adolf Hitler, and was reelected as president of Germany. In January of 1933 Hindenburg made Hitler Chancellor, thinking that it would keep him quiet. A year later Hindenburg died and Hitler took over Germany. Hitler proclaimed that his reign would last for a thousand years. Hitler attained power on January 30, 1933 as the result of a complex set of factors. He was...
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... |First Weimar elections | |28 June 1919 |Treaty of Versailles signed | |July 1919 |Weimar Constitution announced | |March 1920 |Kapp Putsch signed | |January 1923 |Occupation of the Ruhr | |January-November 1923 |Hyperinflation | |8-9 November 1923 |Munich Putsch | |1924 |Dawes Plan | |1925 |Locarno Treaties | |1926...
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...killed 9 million total number of soldiers wounded 21 million civilians dead from disease, hunger, and other war-related causes possibly 9 million Germany and Russia (casualties) 3.4 million French males between 25 and 35 dead or wounded nearly half Britain and its empire (casualties) 1 million Austria-Hungary (casualties) more than a million Italy (casualties) more than a half a million Ottoman Turks (casualties) possibly 325,000 United States (casualties) almost 120,000 2. Today, the British celebrate November 11 as Remembrance Day. In the United States, November 11 is called Veterans Day. 3. What was the effect of the Great War on the infrastructure of France and Belgium? (Infrastructure refers to a country’s facilities and structures that are required to build industries and move goods in and out of the country. It includes roads, bridges, utilities, water, sewage, etc. An infrastructure is necessary for a productive economy.) The infrastructure in France and Belgium was devastated. Farms, villages, and towns were wrecked. Artillery fire destroyed bridges, railroad tracks, roads, factories, and homes. Many villages were completely wiped out. Whole stretches of land were reduced to barren wastelands. 4. By 1918, the fighting cost Britain and Germany about $10 million an hour. © 2009 K12 Inc. All rights reserved. Copying or distributing without K12’s written consent is prohibited. Page 1 of 3 HST202A:...
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...after that- Germany. (Heiden, 142)' Adolf Hitler spoke these words in 1920, soon after becoming leader of the newly named National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party. There are many contributing factors, which lead to Hitler's gain in power over the next thirteen years. The recent history of post-war Germany, and the events that would follow were of perfect conditions for the rise of an extremist party such as the Nazis. World War One had left Germany in defeat. Germany was put under immense pressure by the treaty of Versailles, which contributed to the disastrous and politically unstable early twenties. Hitler was a strong and manipulating character, with extraordinary leadership skills and his party was very tactical. He was very much underestimated by opposing political parties. All of these factors lead to Hitler and his Nazis' becoming the sole political party in the Reichstag in 1933. The German Empire was formed in 1871 and soon became one of Europe?s most influential countries. It dominated in industrial and military power, and the German people were proud of their achievements. Up until the end of World War One, a Kaiser ruled Germany. From 1888 the Kaiser was Wilhelm II. He was very ambitious and militaristic and a threat to other countries. The German people were very accustomed to success, and when Germany was defeated in World War One, they were shocked and angry. The Weimar Constitution was drawn up to help Germany bounce back...
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...affairs, * considered one of the greatest generals of all time. * As a general, improved conditions for troops, gaining support and boosting morale. * Seized power, coup d’etat and the people of france accepted Napolean’s dictatorship. 4.) Lasting Effects of Napolean: * Scholar’s organized all French law into Napoleanic Code. * Established the Bank of France to act as a central financial institution. * Put into effect a system that included high schools, universities, and technical schools * Concordat: Recognized that most French citizens were Catholic, but it still allowed religious freedom. Most important, the church gave up claims to the property that the government had seized and sold during the Revolution. 9.) How World War I was fought, and the concept of total war. * Four Factors for World War I: Nationalism, Militarism, imperialism, system of alliances * Triple Alliance: Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary * Triple Entente: France, Russia, Great Britain * Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia * Germany declares war on Russia * Germany declares war on France * Germany invades Belgian territory * Britain declares war on Germany * Total War is a country utilizing all its resources towards the war. 10.) Why the Russian Revolution Succeeded * Two factions fought for power of the Soviets: Mensheviks and Bolsheviks * Bolsheviks had Vladimir Lenin, who trained workers to become a revolutionary...
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...Top of Form Bottom of Form The Treaty of Versailles was the agreement that was signed at the end of World War I. It placed blame on the war squarely on the shoulders of Germany and imposed great punishments that harmed the country and its people. The Germans immediately protested the potential damage outlined in the treaty. According to the German complaints, the Treaty had the effect of making Germany a debtor slave to the other powers of Europe. After reading the article, Comments of the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference on the Conditions of Peace, this argument is clearly focused with the following points, that Germany will be administered like a bankruptcy case by the victorious nations of France and England. Germany must pay reparations, in the amount of $35 billion, which is illogical. The control of Germany's rivers and construction of infrastructure by outside powers will hamper Germany's economic development. The property of German citizens abroad will be annexed and they will not be permitted to conduct trade with the civilized world. While outlining the economic difficulty that Germany will endure under the treaty, the Germans point to how Wilson's vision for peace was compromised. In the article, the following points were made about that contradiction. Wilson did not place blame on a single country for starting the war, but rather the institutions and alliances that existed prior. The treaty places blame on Germany. Wilson's vision for peace was that...
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...years. Not only has the loss of Germany been discussed at great lengths, also have the reasons. It can be said that although much thought and fact has been taken into consideration when discussing Germany's loss as a whole; not as much attention has been given to that of the loss of Hitler as a man and a leader. Germany's loss of World War Two was not only a loss on behalf of the country as a whole, but a personal loss to Hitler. Why was this such a loss to Hitler? Why did he experience a personal downfall? How did he create his own demise? There are many reasons as to why this is so, but the fact that his ideas were behind the war is a reason why it was not only Germany's downfall, but Hitler's also. He was a man of influence in Germany; the timing was right, and he was in the hot spot. He was the leader of a highly populated European country, he wanted more for himself and for his people. He had ideas, he made decisions based on them. What were his ideas? What was behind them, what did he intend them to accomplish? Where did they lead, and how did this lead to a countrywide and worldwide loss, and even a personal loss? In discussing some of Hitler's ideas such as, lebensraum (which ties in with treaty issues), purity of the state of Germany and a zeal for his people and the desire to make changes for the betterment of his country; it will be seen that although his ideas might have been initally pure, they led to the war, the downfall of Germany and ultimately Hitler's own personal...
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