The notion of nation rebuilding seeks to create a robust national identity that recognizes its diversity and historical countdown. Nation building aims at bringing people together to create political stability. During World War I, Germany fought among the Central Powers against the Allies. After the war, Germany was obliged to pay 132 billion gold marks in the light of reparations to cover civil damages caused during the war (Coulomb, 2016). The payment was considered a historical injustice against a single nation.
The notion of nation rebuilding should be reviewed, considering how Germany was treated after World War I. Germany had undergone heavy losses during the war. It incurred massive destruction of resources encompassing that declined its industrial power. The majority of the soldiers lost their lives, which left several families devastated. Moreover, collateral damage affected all the countries involved. Thus, every member of the Allies and Central Powers were responsible for the destruction and deaths. The treaty of Versailles is deemed unjust because it targeted Germany negatively compared to other parties involved; the reparation paid should have been shared. Therefore, the move to punish Germany alone was discriminatory and against the idea of nation rebuilding. However, rethinking this notion and revisiting the aftermath of war would have minimal impact in cutting the costs. The damage had already been done that derailed the country’s reconstruction. It took a long process of economic development and stabilization in light of industrial powers. Rethinking the idea of nation rebuilding could result in a minimal individual impact economically but contribute to social integration. Nonetheless, the notion could aid in setting specific facts straight for acknowledgment as a historical aspect.
Reference
Coulomb, F. (2016). The evolution of the economic thought confronted with World War I and the reparations’ issue. In Economists and War (pp. 35-49). Routledge.