Dissertation traité de versailles

History

Assess the significance of the military terms on Germans from 1918 to the second world war

The Treaty of Versailles was intended to curb Germany’s economic and military power in order to secure peace. Unfortunately, it had dire effects for the future. The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919 between Germany and the Allies at the end of the First World War. Ambitious objectives were pursued, such as rebuilding the European area, creating a legal organization of international society and restoring trade. It was established so that the Allies could do justice to each other following all the damage caused during the war. This Treaty, which mainly affects the Germans, concerns the military, economic and territorial plan. We will measure the impact that the military terms of the Treaty had on the Germans until the end of the Second World War. We will discuss the impact on the German economy before discussing the social and political impact.

In the first place, in order to try to avoid a new war and to ensure peace, the Briton Lloyd George, the American Wilson, the Italian Orlando and the French Clemenceau who lead the debates, will establish stict rules concerning the military clause of the Treaty. Up to the number of cannons, machine guns and rifles that Germany would be allowed to possess and produce was framed. Berlin is also forbidden to have submarines and military and naval aviation. The importation of warlike items was prohibited as well as the manufacture or purchase of asphyxiating gases and armored tanks. So the industrialist who owned an iron foundary, and who had done well during the war, were now seeing a big decrease of their activity. All the factory who had to reduce their production had a very negative impact on the German economy. As a result of the damage caused throughout the war in northern France and Belgium, Germany, considered to be mainly responsible for the war, had to pay heavy reparations to the Allies. The amount to be paid estimated after several valuations is set at 132 billion gold marks. For the French, the entire sum was to be disbursed by the instigator of the disaster; hence the famous "Germany will pay" taken up abundantly by the Minister of Finance of France, Louis-Lucien Klotz. Germany's reluctance and inability to ensure full compensation for all real or perceived costs of the war resulted in a coercive measure such as the military occupation of the Ruhr in 1923. Otherwise, a lot of ex-soldiers became unemployed after the Treaty of Versailles and misery quickly set in. Germany, cut by an eighth of its territory, is cut in two in the east and loses its colonies. Clemenceau realy wanted to reduce the military power of the Germany so the occupation of the Ruhr and the Rhineland were essential to avoid an attack from the German. The occupation of the Ruhr by the French authorities has meant that the industrialist in this area have lost their most important ironworks. It is now in French hands. Ultimately, German economic life was in bad shape: sheer loss of outlets because of the lost of the colonies, loss of a good part of the national territory and therefore of a part of its wealth, reduction of the opening of several foreign military markets, government pockmarked with debts , worn-out industrial tools and the appearance

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