...only they had had the political will to pay up on time and in full. Analysis of Weimar finances bears this out; Weimar would have had to spend a much smaller % of German GDP on Reparations payments than the Kaiser did on defence, so the money was always there, as Weimar had a minimal defence budget compared to Germany under the Kaiser. Compared to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, imposed on Russia by Germany in early 1918, Versailles was a "slap on the wrist" in the words of one eminent modern historian. The popular perception of Versailles being harsh and unfair has come from constant German whinging that it was so ever since - as Hitler once said, if you tell a big enough lie for long enough, people will come to believe it. Perhaps the only really harsh part of Versailles was Article 231, the so called 'War Guilt' clause, by which Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war and thus all the damage and losses caused to the Allies during the conflict. However, as a strong case can be made for this being true, again, the Germans didn't really have that much cause for complaint over its inclusion. When the treaty was signed, one German delegate commented "what will history say of this?" A French delegate replied "history will not say Belgium invaded Germany."...
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...Was The Treaty Of Versailles Fair To Germany? I believe that the Treaty of Versailles was fair to Germany because unlike all the other countries (bar Russia who weren’t even invited to the discussion) they were just brought to the agreement because they were needed to 1) know the terms of the treaty and 2) sign the papers that stated that they agreed to the treaty (which they didn’t have any choice on, it was sign the treaty or have Berlin marched into). I believe this for three reasons: 1) they were never given a choice on what happened with their country 2) they were threatened into submission by the threat of a full scale invasion and the biggest was 3) they were blamed for the whole of the war. I believe that they were unfairly treated because they were never actually allowed a choice in the whole conference so they had to agree to terms that they did not have a say in making. This meant that they had to pay a debt that was way too much for the income of their country could handle which therefore sent them into a large depression. The value of their money went down so far because the government just kept printing more notes so that meant that all of the lower class workers had even less money than they already had and they could not afford to feed their families three meals a day but, even though the people of Germany were starving, the government had no choice but to print more and more money because the League Of Nations made the demands of the debt so high. In the end...
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...The TOV is a peace treaty that was put into place at the end of World War One and it was largely an unfair treaty, as Germany was not allowed to negotiate the terms of the treaty. The Germans was forced into signing the treaty or risk invasion by the Allied Forces, even though at that time, Germany had to yet surrendered but called for a ceasefire. The act of coercion is unjust towards the Germans as the Germans has not admitted that they have lost and should be given the right to discuss about the terms which involves Germany itself. The TOV was also largely based upon penalising Germany as Article 231 effectively blames Germany for the war and states that Germany must accept total responsibility. By forcing Germany to accept total responsibility for the war, the other countries are exempt from penalty. Also, Germany had to shoulder the cost for all the reparations even though the damage was done by both the Allies and the Central Powers. Only Germany will bear the shame and blame which shows that The Big Three negotiated the conditions of the Treaty to increase their personal benefit. The military clause was the harshest and most damaging clause, and was greatly disapproved of by Germany. The size and power of the German army was one of her greatest assets. By restricting her to an army of only 100,000 volunteers, the Treaty left her defenseless and vulnerable. For such a large country, an army of 100,000 men was just big enough to keep order within Germany at that time...
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...Was the Treaty of Versailles Responsible for World War II? I don't think that the Treaty of Versailles was responsible for World War II. The treaty did cause some disruptions, but I don't think that it was the singular cause of the war. It left Germany with nothing, and Hitler promised the Germans that everything would get better. The treaty definitely lead to a rise in fascism, and I think that allowed Hitler to start “rebuilding” Germany. There were a lot of flaws, and not everyone was happy with the treaty, but the ideal was to bring peace to the countries. It was hard to satisfy everyone, so the Treaty of Versailles was made to at least stop the fighting. Germany was treated unfairly and was blamed for the war, but the treaty didn’t cause...
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...war meet in Versailles to discuss the terms of peace. The peace treaty, known as the Treaty of Versailles, placed harsh punishments on Germany. Germany was forced to pay for the cost of the war, and accept full blame for the war. Also, in order to weaken Germany, territory was taken from Germany and given to other countries, or used to create new countries. These terms of peace left Germany impoverished and its people angry. Hitler’s inevitable rise to power was a direct result of the reparations, war guilt, and loss of territory demanded by the Treaty...
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...inevitable. Historical View #1 proposes that Hitler was a product of Germany’s authoritarian culture, and the Germans failed to develop a democratic tradition because they preferred a stronger state led by a powerful individual. Historical View #5 suggests that German support of Nazism was an emotional response to the crisis-state; Germans were disoriented with the economic crisis, and similar to View #1, sought firmer leadership. The Treaty of Versailles doomed the Weimar Republic because the German administration was unable to fulfill the treaty’s unrealistic demands for reparations, which ruined their domestic economy and fostered a strong authoritative leadership that would defend Germany against the terms and impoverishing effects of the ill-advised treaty. The Treaty of Versailles was intended to guarantee the Allies (and neighboring countries) peace and safety; however, the Allies neglected to recognize that the harsh demands of reparations would drive Germany into the hands of a dictator. Virtually the whole nation repudiated the Treaty of Versailles; it was introduced to promote peace, but instead stripped Germany of her self-determination and potential prosperity, leading to a domestic rebuke of its onerous terms. Additionally, President Wilson’s following Fourteen Points were also considered to deny millions of citizens their...
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...Week 2: Versailles: The Allies’ “Last Horrible Triumph” Steven A. Smith Chamberlain College of Nursing Week 2: Versailles: The Allies’ “Last Horrible Triumph” The Treaty of Versailles, drafted by the Allied Forces, was drafted in with good intentions by some but not all. In the following writing, I will portray some of the complaints by Germany. As well as, what they believed would have led to them being treated differently in the sanctions. I will also delve into the higher “fundamental laws” in the document that side with the German viewpoints. There were many views of the treaty and although I have mine, its important to also views the points of those who would defend the treaty and the reasons for it. There were many provisions written in the treaty but most of which were geared toward Germany and its peoples. Their economy would be damaged and controlled by the Allied Powers with no end in sight. “Germany must promise to pay an indemnity, the amount of which at present is not even stated” (German Delegation, 1919). This indemnity later led Germany to borrowing money to pay reparations to other states. It is worth noting, the Germans were not part of the commission, which was mainly compromised of its enemies from the war. Many of the economic strong points/areas in Germany were given to foreign nations. Also, many of the ways to ship goods and such were controlled by foreigners who could limit the growth possible for the nation. Giving away key cities, controlling...
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...effort to remedy the post war troubles the Allies drafted the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty itself was flawed due to the short time period it was drafted in and the opposing agendas of three main powers drafting it. The French premier, Georges Clemenceau saw this opportunity to protect France from any further conflict with Germany. David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, saw the need for a just and fair punishment for Germany but his main goal was to reestablish trade throughout Europe to ensure economic prosperity. The third main power was America. Woodrow Wilson’s goals were peace and self determination. His plan, The League Of Nations, was designed to unify Europe and prevent any future wars. As for his idea of self-determination Wilson thought that nations of multiple ethnic and religious groups should be able to choose their own political status without interference. French, British, and American leaders failed to create a strong and fair treaty after World War I. They failed to recognize each other’s interests and the interests of the rest of Europe. Despite troubling times in Europe, if they would have negotiated a stronger treaty, recognizing the interests of all European nations, strong and lasting democratic governments could have been established in Europe. German leaders signed the armistice on November 11, 1918. Quickly after the fighting stopped the Allied forces rushed to create a treaty. From the very beginning there was tension between the powers...
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...so that ships didn’t have to go around South America to get to the western side of the united states. This relates to foreign policy because it was a way to get goods to other countries easier and they could come deliver goods to the US. Open door policy- the open door policy made it so that trade was fair to all countries and there weren’t any countries that couldn’t trade or be traded with. This relates to foreign policy because it is a way of countries being friendly with other countries and making it so that all countries are equal in terms of trade. The treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, it was the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. the most famous people that wrote it were Woodrow Wilson and Georges Clemenceau and David Lloyd George. Woodrow Wilson Wilson was the president during this period. These three guys were often called the big three. The treaty was written and signed in Versailles. On May 7, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was handed over to Germany with the instructions that they had only three weeks to accept the Treaty. After a lot of negotiation between the Allies, the terms of the treaty were decided on, and covered areas of territory, the military and the economy, and Germany also had to admit responsibility for causing the First World...
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...States, Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy—and the Central Powers—Germany, Austro Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. The war began in 1914 and the United States entered the war in 1917. The war ended in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles. When President Woodrow Wilson spoke about the war he stressed how important it would be to have peace without a victor and that the only peace that could last is “peace among equals” (A., H.J. Rebecca, 2012). Peace among equals would mean that at the end of the war everyone was treated as equals with an equal say in the terms of peace. This is not how World War I ended. The Allied Powers were victorious and since England and France had fought so hard at such a great cost they wanted to punish the Central Powers and especially Germany. They imposed harsh sanctions on Germany and demanded they pay $33 billion in reparations. This angered the Germans and caused great economic hardship in Germany that made the Great Depression seem like small potatoes. Historians have said that these terms “over the following two decades they helped lead to World War II” (A., H.J. Rebecca, 2012). Germany was not the only nation to be snubbed at the Treaty of Versailles. Other nations were not going to be given a fair shake by the Allies...
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...prepare just in case we were drawn into war? 11. What was President Wilson's stance on preparedness? 12. What groups and areas of the country were vehemently against preparedness and why? 13. Describe the election of 1916 and tell why Wilson won. 14. What were Wilson's last peace efforts to keep us out of war? 15. What are 3 major reasons why, eventhough he wanted peace, Wilson had to ask Congress for a declaration of war in April, 1817? 16. What was Wilson's slogan in his war declaration request? 17. Describe the War Industries Board and its leader Bernard Baruch. 18. What was Herbert Hoover's role in preparing for war? 19. What actions did the Fuel Administration under Harry GArfield take? 20. How did labor fair during the war? Who arbitrated disputes between labor and employers? 21. Who was George Creel and what was the job of the CPI? 22. What actions were promoted by the Hate the Huns campaign of the American Protective League? 23. Describe the Espionage Act of 1917. 24. Describe the Sedition Act. 25. Describe Schenk vs....
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...History 118 Idea Paper 1 by: Pietro Di Matteo Prof. Strickland HIST 118 MR 10:00-11:15 Montclair State University 2/21/14 Why do people go to war? Because they disagree over a certain issue? Because one party feels that they are superior and that anyone else is weak and inferior? The United States in recent years have been involved in wars that were not necessarily theirs to fight. Vietnam was considered one of the biggest wastes of time, money, and soldiers, as well as the Korean Conflict right before that. In order to go to war, one must think to themselves, “how will this be beneficial to me and the country I represent?” There must be a good reason for men to die on the battlefield in order to obtain an end goal. For Woodrow Wilson, he saw World War I as an opportunity to help the peoples of the world. A victory for the United States “would lead to a new world based on ‘peace and justice’ among the ‘free and self-governing peoples of the world.’” To Wilson, this seemed like a good idea to move on from neutrality to warfare so the world would be better off at the end, but it only proved to be a waste of time for the United States. World War I was not a necessary war for the United States to enter. World War I began over in Europe in 1914. At the time, Woodrow Wilson was already in office for two years, and declared that the United States was in neutrality and therefore would not be entering the war. It was not until 1917 when the Germans targeted and attacked American ships...
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...To end World War 1 the Treaty of Versailles was signed (International Conciliation, 1919). Through the Treaty Germany was blamed for the war and was punished. This caused economical issues for Germany to face, and a loss of self-determination (International Conciliation, 1919). Some people believed Germany was not punished enough for the war and Germany believed they should have been treated differently. Germany was blamed for all of the events that took place during World War 1 and the German economy suffered from this (International Conciliation, 1919). The Treaty damaged Germany’s economy by not returning their confiscated goods back to them and also by using them to pay for the damages of the war (International Conciliation, 1919). Foreign authorities were also allowed to build canals and railroads on German territory as they pleased (International Conciliation, 1919). The Treaty called for Germany to surrender territory, such as Alsace-Lorraine (International Conciliation, 1919). This loss of territory caused Germany to lose around 2.5 million ethnic Germans, according to the authors (International Conciliation, 1919). These provisions critically harmed Germany’s economy because they were forced to pay for damage that they could not afford, and the terms of this agreement were completely decided by the countries Germany fought against in the war, while Germany had no control over the terms of paying reparations for the war (International Conciliation, 1919). They had some...
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...The Paris Peace Treaties seemed fair to the allied forces, however, most the terms that were applied to Germany were not fair in any way. Although there may be some gray areas within some of the terms, the treaties were driven by revenge. The harshness of the applied terms came from both France and Britain regarding the suffering and destruction that Germany had caused in their lands. Woodrow Wilson had initially written the “Fourteen Points” which as well had a few unfair points such as the League of Nations, but it didn’t contain terms as harsh as those that were applied to Germany. The single reason why Germany signed The Treaty of Versailles was because they thought they would receive Wilson’s Fourteen Points. That promise was broken and instead, more dreadful terms were applied. Germany had her land taken from her,...
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...strongly believe that Hitler wanted war and to spread communism and the events prior to Poland only made it more apparent another war was inevitable. The reasons why I support my position are The Treaty of Versailles, The Appeasement Policy, and the failure of The League of Nations. 2) Body - First I will argue that the Treaty of Versailles was a indirect cause of the second world war. Although the treaty seamed fair from ally standpoint at the time the punishments handed down on the German country were undesirable, as the losing side they were forced to sign, neither Germany nor Russia were invited to the hearings. Though the Treaty did not start a war I believed it played a big role in Germanys downfall and economic disaster in which landed Adolf Hitler in power. Some say the treaty was a way to get revenge on Germany, it placed all the blame of the war, made them sacrifice land, and forced them to pay the war wages. This in turn led to a hate for the government and officials for signing this treaty and the country left vulnerable economically and loyally, and looking for a leader. So basically the treaty left a bad taste in the Germans citizens mouth, left them demoralized and they couldn’t do anything about it. Adolf Hitler who fought in the first world war and felt the treaty was unfair and unjust, he even believed that the Germans did not lose the first war, but the politicians did. It seems to me a man with this mindset would likely be seeking revenge in any way...
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