Versailles Effect on Germany

The Treaty of Versailles was not a justified treaty, which created German feelings of revenge and dislike towards the victorious countries. This feeling of revenge felt by Germany, in addition with the social atmosphere of Europe, led to a Second World War in the September of 1939, just 11 years after the first World War. People at the time published reports on the unfairness of the treaty. America never ratified the treaty but Britain and France still enforced it. Germany had no choice but to sign the unfair document and it was only a matter of time before things turned for the worse. We must examine the background, clauses, and effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany and Europe to understand how it helped cause WWII. Then, when you look at the situation the treaty created for Europe, we can see how WWII came about.

The war had left Europe in shambles. WWI ended on November 11, 1918, leaving millions of European soldiers dead and injured. Large areas of Belgium and France had been devastated and two of Europe’s most powerful countries, Germany and Austria-Hungary, were defeated and exhausted. All the European countries were now bankrupt from the cost of waging a war for four

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The people were looking for a change as inflation had caused nation-wide starvation and there was great unemployment. Germany’s only option was to print more notes, which resulted in disastrous inflation, creating unemployment and causing starvation.

Germany had to pay severe reparations, imposed to help the damaged countries rebuild after the war, at the amount of $5 billion due May 1, 1921. All of these unjust clauses would make Germany prone to leadership from a strong fascist leader like Hitler. He then proceeded to reclaim the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in the name of self-determination, but then on March 15, 1939, German troops occupied a non-German area of Czechoslovakia. Turner The First World War (Frederick Warne & Co. With industry destroyed there was no way they could pay the reparations. Before Germany had signed the Treaty of Versailles, she had read Wilson’s published Fourteen Points, which had misled her into thinking she would be promised self-determination.

In this clause Germany lost 13% of its territory, containing 7. The Allies had created impossible reparations to pay, (which had resulted in the invasion of the Rhur Valley by the French in 1923, adding to hate towards the French) they had left no industry to rebuild the economy with, Germany’s territory and population were greatly reduced, and there was tremendous resentment. 3 million people, and all of her overseas colonies, ending her empire.

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Approximate Word count = 1617
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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