The Treaty of Versailles was one of the leading causes of World War II. It was a seriously important document, and it was written in only six months. Because of the necessary rush to write it, and the fact that tempers ran high, many nations were grievously unhappy about what the treaty contained when it was finished.
32 different nations attended the Paris Peace Conference, but France, Italy, Britain, and the United States dominated the discussion. Some of the tension that resulted from the conference stemmed from the fact that Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Russia were almost entirely shut out of the discussion. Although, it is worth mentioning that Russia had concluded a peace treaty with the Central Powers the previous year.
The Treaty of Versailles blamed both Germany and her allies. Article 231 stated that Germany should accept legal responsibility for the damage that the German troops had caused when they invaded. The treaty also mandated that Germany pay reparations to the Allies, and while it was typical for the loser of a war to be forced to pay indemnities, the amount surpassed anything that Germany could actually pay. In fact, only approximately 17% of the original reparations were ever paid (Guinnane). It also failed to include enforcement provisions for sanctions that were contained within the treaty. In the end, the Germans were left with virtually no army, tanks, or air force. They also had to cede territories like Poland and Alsace-Lorraine, as well as lose all of their overseas lands.
Article 231 infuriated the German people. Part of this could be because Germany truly did not think that they were going to lose the war. The had forced Russia into humiliating surrender, and conquered Poland, Serbia, Romania and Belgium. Official German military censorship had prevented newspapers from printing disheartening news such as casualty figures (Altenhöner). For this reason, their loss came as a shock to the German people.
This is the reason that the government of the Weimar Republic set up the War Guilt Unit. It was in charge of publishing information that discredited Article 231. Despite this, the Weimar Republic eventually failed and the reparations were beggaring the government. There was high unemployment and hyperinflation. This became even worse in the 1930s, which was partially what allowed Hitler to come to power. He used the treaty as an excuse for all of the bad things that had befallen Germany and promised to make the country great again. He used convincing rhetoric about betrayal, used the Jewish people as a scapegoat, and promised to reclaim German honor.
The upset parties did not just include Germany, though. Mussolini took power because of the Treaty of Versailles as well. Italy had been promised wealth, but the treaty did not give them the lands that they had been hoping for. Mussolini, like Hitler, promised his people expansion and wealth to come. Japan received what they perceived to be unnecessarily harsh punishments and walked out of the conference.
The Treaty of Versailles caused World War II by creating conditions where militaristic leaders could take power.
Bibliography
Altenhöner, Florian. "Press/Journalism (Germany)." International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Ed. Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin, 2014. Web.
"Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch)." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
"German-American Relations - Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (two plus Four)." German-American Relations - Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (two plus Four). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Guinnane, Timothy W. Financial Vergangenheitsbewältigung: The 1953 London Debt Agreement. Economic Growth Center Yale University, 2015. PDF File.
MacMillan, Margaret. Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War. London: John Murray, 2003. Print.
Paxton, Robert O. Europe in the Twentieth Century. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975. Print.
32 different nations attended the Paris Peace Conference, but France, Italy, Britain, and the United States dominated the discussion. Some of the tension that resulted from the conference stemmed from the fact that Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Russia were almost entirely shut out of the discussion. Although, it is worth mentioning that Russia had concluded a peace treaty with the Central Powers the previous year.
The Treaty of Versailles blamed both Germany and her allies. Article 231 stated that Germany should accept legal responsibility for the damage that the German troops had caused when they invaded. The treaty also mandated that Germany pay reparations to the Allies, and while it was typical for the loser of a war to be forced to pay indemnities, the amount surpassed anything that Germany could actually pay. In fact, only approximately 17% of the original reparations were ever paid (Guinnane). It also failed to include enforcement provisions for sanctions that were contained within the treaty. In the end, the Germans were left with virtually no army, tanks, or air force. They also had to cede territories like Poland and Alsace-Lorraine, as well as lose all of their overseas lands.
Article 231 infuriated the German people. Part of this could be because Germany truly did not think that they were going to lose the war. The had forced Russia into humiliating surrender, and conquered Poland, Serbia, Romania and Belgium. Official German military censorship had prevented newspapers from printing disheartening news such as casualty figures (Altenhöner). For this reason, their loss came as a shock to the German people.
This is the reason that the government of the Weimar Republic set up the War Guilt Unit. It was in charge of publishing information that discredited Article 231. Despite this, the Weimar Republic eventually failed and the reparations were beggaring the government. There was high unemployment and hyperinflation. This became even worse in the 1930s, which was partially what allowed Hitler to come to power. He used the treaty as an excuse for all of the bad things that had befallen Germany and promised to make the country great again. He used convincing rhetoric about betrayal, used the Jewish people as a scapegoat, and promised to reclaim German honor.
The upset parties did not just include Germany, though. Mussolini took power because of the Treaty of Versailles as well. Italy had been promised wealth, but the treaty did not give them the lands that they had been hoping for. Mussolini, like Hitler, promised his people expansion and wealth to come. Japan received what they perceived to be unnecessarily harsh punishments and walked out of the conference.
The Treaty of Versailles caused World War II by creating conditions where militaristic leaders could take power.
Bibliography
Altenhöner, Florian. "Press/Journalism (Germany)." International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Ed. Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin, 2014. Web.
"Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch)." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
"German-American Relations - Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (two plus Four)." German-American Relations - Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (two plus Four). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Guinnane, Timothy W. Financial Vergangenheitsbewältigung: The 1953 London Debt Agreement. Economic Growth Center Yale University, 2015. PDF File.
MacMillan, Margaret. Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War. London: John Murray, 2003. Print.
Paxton, Robert O. Europe in the Twentieth Century. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975. Print.
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