The Treaty of Versailles

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The Treaty of Versailles
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Connector
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Outcomes

• All to know the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
• Most to research and present the terms of the
  Treaty
• Some to see how the Treaty would affect Germany
  in future years

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The Aims of The Treaty
The USA?
I saw we should
Ze Germans half gone to far zis time!
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What did Germany expect?

• The military leaders resigned and the Kaiser
  abdicated
• They hoped a civilian government would be able to
  get a fairer peace
• Why was Germany in a position of weakness?

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The Four Aims

• To punish Germany and compensate the Allies
• To make sure Germany could never threaten Europe
  again
• To weaken Germany militarily
• To make sure all conflicts were solved by
  negotiation rather than war

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Choose one term

• You have 20 minutes to research it and present it
  to the rest of the group
• Make sure you include
• Detail of the terms
• What effect this might have on Germany?

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Why did the Germans see this as unfair?

• Furthered the myth of stabbing in the back and
  November Criminals
• It became known as a diktat
• The war guilt clause was hard to swallow
• The size of the reparations
• Britain and France did not have to disarm

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However

• Between 1919-45 people became more sympathetic to
  the German people
• The French had to give way to most of their
  extreme demands
• Many areas were given the option of which country
  to join
• Germany was not occupied so all damage was to
  France and Belgium

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The significance

• Economically not as great as people thought
  Germany still had a strong industry and economy
• It received more money under the Dawes plan than
  it paid in reparations
• However it was the new Weimar Republic that would
  take the brunt of the blame

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Review-explain the quotes

• I have obtained almost everything I wanted
  Georges Clemenceau
• To those who are saying that the Treaty is bad
  and should never have been made and that it will
  involve Europe in infinite difficulties in its
  enforcement, I feel like admitting it. Edward M.
  House
• For every man who a year ago knew and said that
  the Peace Treaty was immoral in conception and
  would be disastrous, there are thousands who say
  it now Richard Tawney

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Quotes

• The fundamental falsehood on which the Versailles
  Treaty is built is the theory that Germany was
  solely and entirely responsible for the war. No
  fair-minded student of the war and its causes can
  accept this contention Captain E. N. Bennett
• The Treaty includes no provision for the economic
  rehabilitation of Europe - nothing to make the
  defeated Central Powers into good neighbours,
  nothing to stabilise the new States of Europe
• John Maynard Keynes

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Additional Reading

• Access to History p120-126