More details on the Treaty of Versailles and Germany | World history | Khan Academy
A long proposal for a permanent peace was fourteen point plan В Wilson Fourteen Points of President Woodrow Wilson United States were on the table for almost a year, having been unveiled in a speech in January 1918 Wilson plan called for a reduction of armaments in all nations, the lifting of economic barriers, an end to secret alliances and breaking and freedom on the high seas He also proposed international negotiation and resolution of disputes, be facilitated by company newly formed containedВ Nations Fourteen Points not specific punitive measures against Germany, other than the return of the French and Belgian territory captured for this reason, it has become popular with the anti-war movement in Germany in the last months of the war; in 1918, he was cited and praised in both the Reichstag and by the mutineers Kiel The German government's final decision on disposal has been largely motivated by his belief that Wilson's Fourteen Points would form the basis treaty after the war.
However, Wilson's plan was not widely supported in France or Great Britain, where attitudes toward Germany were much less conciliatory В The prevailing attitude in Paris and London was that Germany had was primarily, if not entirely responsible for the outbreak of war that many have argued, Germany should be held responsible and punished They also called for measures to reduce the capacity of Germany to make war the future, for the dismantling or reduction of its military and industrial sectors thrust to castrate the military capacity of Germany came mostly french, who had the most to fear from its eastern neighbor during the negotiations of Paris, french Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau defended vigorously punitive and restrictive measures against Germany Clemenceau wanted to send the German economy back , A first industrial nation in the world a small group of provinces involved in agricultural production and small-scale manufacturing.
The Treaty of Versailles came to reflect much of the Clemenceau punitive approach a conciliatory Wilson Among its principal terms and conditions.
Germany lost significant amounts of territory, it was stripped of all colonies overseas and forced to make large amounts of European territory, includingВ part of great strategic or industrial value Alsace and Lorraine have were returned to France, while others were surrenderedВ in Belgium, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Rhine, an area of the neighboring German territory of France, was sentenced to be demilitarized, as a way to protect the French border Another German border region, the Saarland was occupied and administered by France.
Germany was forbidden to enter a political union or confederation with Austria.
The German Reichswehr small size army It could contain more than 100 000 men and was forbidden to use conscription to fill its ranks There were also restrictions on the size and composition of its officer class.
The German army was the subject of other restrictions and prohibitions warships were restricted in tonnage when the bans were imposed on the production or purchase of tanks, heavy artillery, chemical weapons, airplanes, airships and submarines.
The Treaty of Article 231 of the war guilt clause determined that Germany alone was responsible for initiating the war, providing a legal basis for the payment of war reparations to the Allies.
These terms have been formulated by the Allies without the entry of Germany, who was not allowed to attend the peace summit in Paris in May 1919 German delegates were finally invited to Paris After being kept waiting for several days, they were presented with the draft Treaty German foreign minister, Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau, spoke at Versailles, suggesting that if his country was ready to make amends for his excess time war, the suggestion that Germany was the only one from the war or exceeding the rules of war was unfounded.
We are ready to admit that the unrighteous things were done, we did not come here to diminish the responsibility of men who have the political and economic front in the war, or to deny that violations of the law of nations were committed, but the measure of the guilt of those who took part may be established by an impartial, neutral commission before which all the principles of the tragedy may be allowed to speak, and that all archives are open, we requested such an investigation and we ask once more†in their heart, the German people resign themselves to much hard if the foundations of peace are mutually agreed upon and not destroyed a peace that can be defended before the world as a peace of justice will always invite new resistance could sign with a clear conscience, because it could not be done no one could dare to guarantee its execution, although this obligation is required by the treaty.
When news of the treaty reached Germany has generated a firestorm of public anger Germans expectedВ a fair deal and even delayed due to Wilson's Fourteen Points Instead, they were given that they called the diktat of Versailles a treaty that has been negotiated between equals, but was forced on a war-torn and hungry to the point of a gun В There were some moments of national unity Weimar in Germany, but the answer to Versailles was one of them В Erich Ludendorff considered the treaty the work of Jewish bankers and socialists plot Gustav Stresemann described as a moral death sentence, political and economic that we will destroyed, said Walter Rathenau, the delegates of the Reichstag Weimar all political parties except the USPD stood up to condemn the Treaty of Versailles and the conduct of Allied Almost all Germany's newspapers slammed the Treaty and shouted for the government to reject it.
For two months the outstretched Weimar government discussed the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles The issue has led to the disappearance of the first Chancellor of Weimar, Philipp Scheidemann, who resigned rather than ratify the treaty, which he considered a deadly plane President Friedrich Ebert also opposed the Treaty of Versailles in June, he contacted the military commanders and asked if the army could defend the nation if the government refused to sign the treaty and the Allies took over the two war Paul von Hindenburg and Wilhelm Groener informed the Reichstag that the army lacked equipment and ammunition and could not resist an Allied offensive or invasion of Germany for any refusal to comply with Versailles would also extend the Allied food blockade, which was still being in June 1919 and contribute to thousands of civilian deaths from starvation Faced with this advice, Reichstag had no choice but to submit to the delegates of the Allies Germany signed the Treaty 28 June 1919 and has been ratified by the Assembly of Weimar almost two weeks later on July 9, spent 209 votes against 116.
For the SPD and other moderates, the acceptance of Versailles was a necessary measure, given reluctantly to prevent more war and bloodshed, an Allied invasion of Germany and possible dissolution of the State German Some accepted Versailles in the hope that it could be renegotiated and relaxed later В Those in the military and the extreme right, however, he again saw another betrayal В German honor today is dragged never forget the grave shouted a nationalist newspaper the German people will advance again to regain their В pride that we will have our revenge for the shame of 1919 conspirators on the fact far right ratification was more evidence of the destructive forces work in the civil government of Germany the Versailles Treaty, or rather the question of how Germany should have said it would help the political divisions for a life of the Weimar Republic.
1 The Treaty of Versailles, written in 1919, formally concluded hostilities between the Allies and Germany 2 Germany was not party to the treaty negotiations, but was given words of peace in May 1919, prompting protest 3 The treaty was widely opposed in Germany briefly the government considered refusing to sign and ratify 4 the face of renewed war and an Allied invasion, the Weimar government reluctantly ordered the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and organized its ratification Reichstag 5 This acceptance of the Treaty rebel nationalist groups who considered it another example of Dolchstosselegende Versailles and its harsh conditions contributed to more than a decade of political division of the Weimar Republic.
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