Why did the Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?

1
? Starter
28 June 1919 Germany signed up to the terms of
the Treaty of Versailles formally ending WWI. How
do you think the artist of this cartoon viewed
the outcome of the Treaty for Germany? Who do you
think the people are in this picture?
2
Big Three, Lloyd-George, Clemenceau Roosevelt
Clemenceau
Wilson
Lloyd-George
3

• 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

4
Why did the Germans hate the Treaty of Versailles?
?Aims

• To identify the key terms of the Treaty of
  Versailles and understand how Germans reacted to
  them

5
? Your task

• Read p.16 and note down the reasons why Germany
  initially felt optimistic about the Paris Peace
  Conference (1919).

Delegates outside the Palace of Versailles
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Reasons for optimism
?

• Abdication of Kaiser
• New democratic govt
• Expectations the Allies would help the new Weimar
  Govt
• President Wilsons desire for fairness 14
  Points
• Other countries were not blameless

What do you think Chancellor Ebert was thinking
on the eve of the Paris Peace Conference?
7
? Your task
Reparations
War Guilt
Why did Germans hate the Treaty of
Versailles?
Territorial losses
Germanys colonies
Military restrictions
8
War guilt

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

• Why did many Germans resent this clause?

9
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

10
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 League of Nations
  running their colonies?

11
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?
12
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?

13
Territorial losses

• Alsace-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?

14
? Plenary

• A myth emerged after the Treaty of Versailles
  that it was a stab in the back for Germany. Do
  you agree with this description?

15
? Homework

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