Introduction
Two world wars were among the most devastating occurrences that humanity has ever experienced. When delving deeper into the causes and effects of the wars, especially on Germany, it is vital to see the consequences entailed by the peace treaties. For example, the Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in France, that put an official end to World War I between the Allied and Central Powers (Library of Congress, n.d.).
The treaty was an attempt to establish a lasting peace and prevent future wars. However, it is widely regarded as one of the most controversial treaties in history, and there are those who believe that it contributed to the rise of fascism and the outbreak of World War II. While the victor states aimed to limit Germany’s political and economic capacities for conflicts, the Treaty of Versailles only led to catastrophic socioeconomic results, making the nation weaker and more susceptible to extremist political movements.
The Treaty’s Provisions
Before analyzing the effects of the treaty, it is necessary to delve deeper into its provisions. The Treaty of Versailles was a complex document that consisted of 15 parts and 440 articles (Library of Congress, n.d.). It imposed severe penalties on Germany, which was blamed for starting the war, and established the League of Nations, an international organization that aimed to prevent future wars (Caglioti, 2020).
First, Germany was forced to relinquish parts of its foreign colonies as well as its European territory, including Alsace-Lorraine, which was returned to France (Caglioti, 2020). The Rhineland was demilitarized, and Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a). Moreover, Germany was not allowed to have an air force, submarines, or tanks (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a). The size of its army was limited to 100,000 men, and it was forbidden to conscript soldiers (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a). Such measures were incorporated to make the state of Germany weak and physically incapable of seeking any further military conflicts.
Aside from political limitations on the state, Germany was obligated to give the Allied nations reparations for the damage. The exact amount was not specified in the treaty but was later set at a hundred and thirty billion gold marks, a sum that Germany could not afford (Caglioti, 2020). Finally, Article 231, sometimes referred to as the War Guilt Clause, was arguably the most damaging provision in the treaty (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a).
This provision made the German nation fully accountable for beginning World War I, making it responsible for all physical damage that occurred. Georges Clemenceau, the premier of France, persisted in demanding significant reparations (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a). Clemenceau and the French deeply dreaded a swift German resurgence and a major war against France, despite the fact that they knew Germany would likely lack the resources to pay such a debt (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.a). Consequently, it can be seen that with such limitations and reparations, the victim states wanted to not only hold Germany accountable but also suppress any movements by making the state focus on internal struggles that awaited.
Criticisms of the Treaty
The Treaty of Versailles was widely criticized for being too cruel to Germany and for failing to establish a lasting peace. This is mainly the reason why there is an established opinion that it is the Treaty of Versailles that is to blame for the Second World War, which started after several decades. In order to understand why this might be so, it is vital to look into the effects of the treaty and what made Germany susceptible to manipulation by a person like Adolf Hitler. First, as in most countries, a society’s behavior is greatly influenced by the present economic conditions. Germany was required to pay significant reparations to France and Great Britain as a result of the Versailles Treaty (Castillo, n.d.).
Furthermore, Germany was obliged to give up 13% of its land as a result of the Versailles Treaty, which many people believed was much too punitive (Castillo, n.d.). The reparations that Germany was forced to pay had a devastating effect on its economy, leading to hyperinflation and widespread poverty (Castillo, n.d.). This could have fueled resentment and anger among the German people and contributed to the rise of extremist political movements.
Moreover, the treaty weakened the German government and made it difficult for it to establish a stable democracy. The Weimar Republic, which was established after the war, faced numerous challenges, such as political instability, economic problems, and social unrest (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b). The Nazi Party, which vowed to bring peace and prosperity to Germany, and other extreme political groups grew as a result of these issues (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b).
Despite efforts to stabilize the government, the Weimar Republic ultimately proved unable to address the underlying issues facing the country and was eventually overthrown by the Nazi party, which seized power in 1933 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b). As seen from history, such a regime committed numerous atrocities, including the Holocaust, and plunged Europe into another devastating war (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b). Therefore, this underscores the importance of effective governance and diplomacy in maintaining stability and peace.
Finally, the military restrictions placed on Germany were seen as a threat to its national security. The Nazis used these restrictions to justify their rearmament and aggressive foreign policy (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b). In Weimar, Germany, the socioeconomic turmoil that followed World War I led directly to several radical right-wing groups (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b). Many people in the general public believed that Germany was “stabbed in the back” by the “November criminals” as a result of the strict terms of the Treaty of Versailles (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.b, para.4). Thus, as can be seen, while such restrictions on Germany after the war were successful in making the state weak, they additionally made the citizens frustrated, making them vulnerable to extremist movements.
Conclusion
Hence, the Treaty of Versailles only had disastrous socioeconomic effects, weakening the country and making it more vulnerable to radical political movements, despite the victim states’ attempts to restrict Germany’s political and economic capacity for war. The Treaty of Versailles was a substantial agreement with 440 provisions and 15 sections. It founded the League of Nations, an international body with the goal of preventing future hostilities, and imposed harsh sanctions on Germany, which was held responsible for launching the war. The Treaty of Versailles received harsh criticism for failing to create permanent peace and for being overly harsh on Germany. Restrictions placed on Germany after the war succeeded in weakening the country, but they also infuriated the populace, leaving them susceptible to extreme movements.
References
Caglioti, D. L. (2020). War and citizenship: Enemy aliens and national belonging from the French revolution to the First World War. Cambridge University Press.
Castillo, D. (n.d.). German economy in the 1920s. University of California. Web.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Treaty of Versailles. Web.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.a). Treaty of Versailles. Web.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.b). World War I: Aftermath. Web.