With reference to the 2nd world war:- impacts of the treaty of versailles 3 points
Answers
On 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany. The Germans had not been allowed to send any delegates, and had to accept whatever was decided. The Treaty had five main points:
1.By Clause 231, Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war.
2.Germany’s military power was reduced. Germany was not allowed to have submarines or an air force. It could have an army of only 100,000 men and a navy of only 6 ships, and it was not allowed to place any troops in the Rhineland.
3.Germany had to pay £6,600 million ‘reparations’ for damage done.
4.Germany lost land. The Saar coalfield was given to France for 15 years, and Alsace-Lorraine given back to France. Danzig became a free city, and Poland was given a ‘corridor’ to the Baltic Sea. Germany was not allowed to unite with Austria. Finally, Germany’s colonies were given to France or Britain.
5.Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, and officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers.
The controversial War Guilt clause blamed Germany for World War I and imposed heavy debt payments on Germany.
The Treaty of Versailles was a major contributing factor in the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Treaty of Versailles established a blueprint for the postwar world. One of the most controversial terms of the treaty was the War Guilt clause, which explicitly and directly blamed Germany for the outbreak of hostilities. The treaty forced Germany to disarm, to make territorial concessions, and to pay reparations to the Allied powers in the staggering amount of $5 billion.
Although US President Woodrow Wilson was opposed to such harsh terms, he was outmaneuvered by French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. France was the only Allied power to share a border with Germany, and therefore suffered the bulk of the devastation and casualties from the German war machine. The French aimed to weaken Germany to the greatest extent possible.