Why did the Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles

1
Why did the Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?
2
What kind of treaty did the Germans get?

• When the Allies assembled at Versailles in 1919
  to draw up the treaty, it soon became clear that
  the Germans were not going to get what they hoped
  for.

Big Three, Lloyd-George, Clemenceau Roosevelt
3

• The emphasis seemed to be on punishing Germany.
  The French, in particular, wanted a peace which
  would weaken Germany so much that there would be
  no chance of it attacking France in the future.

Georges Clemenceau, French President
4

• Germany was not invited to the peace
  negotiations. The treaty was agreed by the Allies
  and then presented to Germany for signing. When
  the Germans refused to sign it they were told
  that if they did not sign, war would start again.

5

• Finally, Germany had no choice, but to accept.
  On 28 June 1919 German representatives
  reluctantly signed the Treaty. But they called it
  the shameful diktat of Versailles.
• SHP, p.16

6
Lesson overview
Reparations
War Guilt
Why did Germans hate the Treaty of
Versailles?
Territorial losses
Germanys colonies
Military restrictions
7
War guilt

• Article 231 of the Treaty stated that Germany was
  to blame for causing the war.

• Why did many Germans resent this clause?

8
Reparations
Why did many Germans complain about reparations?

• As Germany was held responsible for the war, the
  allies could claim reparations for the damage
  caused
• In 1921 a special commission fixed a sum of
  6,600 m. to be paid in annual instalments
• The Treaty also took away 10 of Germanys
  industry and 15 of its agricultural land

9
Germanys colonies

• Germanys colonies were handed over to the League
  of Nations, who gave them to Britain and France
  to run

• Why did many Germans resent the way the League of
  Nations running their colonies?

10
Military restrictions

• Air force was disbanded
• Army limited to 100,000 soldiers
• Navy limited to 15,000 sailors, six battleships
  and no submarines

Which country was keen to restrict Germanys
navy? Why?
11
Military restrictions

• Rhineland occupied by the Allies for 15 years
• No German troops allowed in this area

• Why were the Germans especially unhappy about
  these terms?

12
Territorial losses

• Alace-Lorraine returned to France
• West Prussia and Posen (Polish Corridor) lost to
  Poland
• Saarland taken over by the League of Nations for
  15 years

• Which of the territorial losses would have
  angered the Germans most?

13
? Your task

• Write a short speech to deliver to the new German
  Reichstag explaining why you hate the terms of
  the Treaty of Versailles so much.