Essay on How Significant Was The Treaty Of Versa

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How Significant Was The Treaty Of Versailles To Germany? The Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919, to end World War I. The Allied Nations of England, France, Italy, and the United States met at Versailles (outside of Paris, France), to decide both punishment for Germany and the rebuilding of Europe after the bloody four-year war. Though several nations wrote the terms of the treaty, the world’s most powerful nation at the time, England, fought strongly to punish Germany for its role in starting the war in the first place. Feeling the treaty too harsh, Germany refused signing the treaty many times; but because of global pressure and the need for help to rebuild their country, they eventually gave in. The results of the Treaty for Germany were humiliating, placing limits on Germany’s ability to govern itself. Eventually, the terms of the Treaty of Versailles would so anger the Germans that it would become an underlying cause of World War II. The Big Three (England, France, and the United States) proposed the major parts of the Treaty Of Versailles. Each country had its own agenda of what it wanted to accomplish. Woodrow Wilson, the president of the United States, wanted his Fourteen Points to guide the Treaty. It included many sanctions on Germany for its role in the war, but was seen as too forgiving for France and England to accept. David Clemenceau, the Prime Minister of France, wanted revenge on Germany for all of the damage that they had caused. Also, David Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, wanted justice on Germany, but not so severely that trade would be limited with Germany. The Germans were not given an opportunity to participate in the discussions; they had to accept whatever was imposed on them. Because they were not included, German citizens were deeply angered by discussions of their future being held without their consent. So severe were protests against the acceptance of the treaty, that many Germans threatened leaders who considered accepting it. Eventually, though, Germany had to accept the treaty or face continued misery and pain. So how did this treaty affect Germany? First, Germany was forced to give up whatever colonies it had once controlled. Germany had built a very large empire including territories in Africa and eastern Europe. Countries like Poland, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia were returned to the control of France and Russia. Giving up these countries made Germans feel unsafe, as if they had lost protection against future invasions from these rival countries. Many of Germany’s overseas colonies were also taken, cutting into their ability to trade and expect goods from their colonies. Second, because Germany had begun World War I, the Treaty of Versailles severely cut the size of Germany’s army. Whereas they had been able to build guns and airplanes and train lots of soldiers, the Treaty of Versailles limited Germany’s ability to do these things. This of course also hurt its economy. But a country that had been used to a strong army was now reduced to only 100,000 soldiers. This frightened the Germans since many of its citizens had been employed in the military. Now they would have to find different kinds of jobs. Having a smaller army also made Germans feel weak and frightened of attacks from enemy nations. Germany had also been a leader in building tanks and airplanes during World War I. But after the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was no longer allowed to have tanks or airplanes. This meant Germany’s army could never compete again in a modern war. Germany was allowed to keep six ships in its navy, but it was not allowed any submarines. To make matters worse for the Germans, the nations who won the war were allowed to keep troops in Germany for 15 years as a reminder of Germany’s loss. In addition, the Treaty of Versailles sought to guarantee that Germany would not be able to rebuilt the leadership of its army. Military training was reduced to only three
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