JenniferAshley

TreatyofVersailleDBQ
WCperiod4

HermanKahn,aWorldWarIhistorian,stated(1984),WorldWarIbrokeoutlargelybecauseofan
armsrace,andWorldWarIIbecauseofthelackofanarmsrace.(hudson.org).Thisquoteexplainsthe
importanceofkeepinganarmsraceandwhatcausedWorldWarII.TheTreatyofVersaillesendedWorld
WarIhowever,itstatedthatGermanywastobeblamedforalldamagesdoneandhadtopayallpayments
orreparations.ThisbrokethearmsracebetweenGermanyandallothercountries.Bythishappening,the
Germanpeoplefelthumiliatedandstartedtohavebuiltupanger.AllofthisangerfocusedontheTreatyof
VersailleswhichcouldhavecausedWorldWarII.Territoriallosses,militaryrestrictions,reparations,andthe
WarGuiltClause,allcamefromtheTreatyofVersaillescausingWorldWarII.
TerritoriallossesaffectedtheGermanpeoplethroughoutGermany.IntheTreatyofVersailles
GermanylostthePolishCorridor,cityofDanzig,TheLorraineandAlsaceareas,andlittlepartsbyEast
RussiaandDenmarkasstatedinDocumentA.Bylosingthisterritory,Germanywasnowsplitintotwo
separatepartsandchangedthelifeoftheGermanpeoplewholivedintheseareas.Theywouldbeunder
theruleofcountriesthatGermanyhadjustlostto,furthermore,theyweretreatedverypoorly.TheGerman
peoplestartedrealizingwhattheyhadlostandhowtheyweregettingtreatedandweregettingverymad,
however,theydidnothavearulertogeteverythingbackinplace.Thisangerstartedbuildingupvery
quicklyandtheywantedtostrikeback.LosingtheseterritoriesmadeGermanyverymadandreadytoretake
thembyforce.
Inadditiontolosingalloftheirterritories,Germanyalsolostalloftheirmilitarystrength.In
DocumentBitstatedthattheTreatystatedthatGermanysmilitarycouldnothaveoveronehundred
thousandmen,includingofficers,inotherwords,theywerenotaloudtohaveanymilitarypower.Shortly
afterthatitthenstatedwhattheArmywouldbeabletodoandwhattheycouldnot.ItsaidtheArmyshould
onlybedevotedtothemaintenanceoforderwithintheterritoryandtothecontrolofthefrontiers.Thismade
GermanyfeelliketheTreatydidnotfixwhathappenedinthewarbutonlyblameditonthem.Thepeople
felthelplessandveryhumiliated.
SincetheTreatyblamedthedamagesonGermany,Germanyhadtopayallthereparations.When
thepaymentswereaddedup,itcametoatotalofthreehundredandsixtysevenbilliondollarsorone
hundredandthirtytwogoldmarks,asnotedinDocumentC.Germanytookresponsibilityforthedamages
andreparations,despitetheeconomiccrisisthatwassoontocome.Eventhoughtheytookthe
responsibility,theTreatywantedtheallthepaymentsbythirtyyears.Italsoexplainsonwhatwouldhappen
ifGermanymissesapayment.EverycountryknewthatGermanytookresponsibilitybuttheydidnotrealize
howtheamounthadahugeeffectontheireconomytoo.SincethepaymentsweretohighforGermanyto

pay,theothercountrieswentinaGreatDepressionalongwithGermany.Thismadepeoplefromevery
countrymadandblamingotherpeoplefortheeconomiccrisistheywerein.
SimultaneouslyaftertheTreatycameout,sodidtheWarGuiltClause.InDocumentDtheWarGuilt
ClausewasstatedasanotherdocumentsayinghowGermanyhadacceptedthepaymentsandtookfull
responsibility.AtthesametimeittoldhowtheGermanpeoplefeltaboutthewarandthedamagesthatwere
done.ThepeopleofGermanysawtheTreatyasinjusticeandpureevil.Theylosthopeandneededaruler
badly.SoonHitlercametopowerandreawakenedtheirsenseofselfrespect.Healsogavethemasenseof
pride,andshortlyafterthathestoppedallthereparations.HegavetheGermanpeoplehopeandpridefor
theircountry,however,hecausedthepeoplesangerthebuildupandgetreadytotakebackwhatwas
theirs.AfteralltheGermanpeoplewerefilledwithangerandhewasreadytotrainthemforanotherwar.
AlthoughothercountriesneversawWorldWarIIcoming,theGermanpeopledid.Territoriallosses
startedtheconflictandangerbuildupwithcertainpeopleunderadifferentrule.Militaryrestrictionsmade
thepeoplefeelpowerlessanddesperate.Whilethereparationsmadethemfeelhumiliatedandhelpless.As
soonastheWarGuiltClausecameout,theGermanpeopleknewsomethinghadtobedone.WorldWarII
wascausedbytheTreatyofVersaillesfromGermanysterritoriallosses,militaryrestrictions,reparations,
andtheWarGuiltClause.

WorksCited

Kahn,H.(1984,January1).TwelveNonissuesandTwelveAlmostNonissues.RetrievedApril29,2015.
TreatyofVersailles
(1919)ArticleGermanTerritorialLosses
TreatyofVersailles
(1919)Article160
TreatyofVersailles
(1919)Article232and233
TreatyofVersailles
(1919)Article231