Establishment of the Weimar Republic Section 2

Territorial Losses 

• Treaty removed over 70,000 km2 of German territory 
• Cities such as Danzig become a free state under League of Nations 
• Oversees colonies = placed under League of Nations control 
• States were divided between allies 

Disarmamament 

• Germany surrenderd all heavy weapons & dismantled fortifications in the Rhineland 
• Germany's army & navy were limited 100,000 men & 15,000 men 
• Forbidden from having an air force 

War Guilt Clause 

• Responsible for starting the war £6.6 billion 
• Article 231 of treaty war guilt clause 
• Germany had to pay reparations to alies to cover costs for damage 

The Rhineland 

• Left & right bank of Rhine 
• Allied army of occupation based to ensure Germany fulfilled Treaty obligations 

The Saarland 

• Area of South Western Germany 
• Placed under League of Nations control for 15 years 
• Supplied France, Belguim, Italy etc 
• France = exploited coal mines 

Anschluss Forbidden 

• Austria = forbidden from uniting with Germany 

League of Nations - not allowed into 

War Crimes - Kaiser & others put on trial for war crimes

Agree 

• Wilson's 14 points & armistice agreement - Germany expected to hand over assets 
• German disarmament 

Disagree 

• Treaty - not as severe as might have been 
• Allies resisted French attempt at extending French border to Rhineland 
• Reparations = much lower than French demanded = not beyond Germany's capacity to pay 
• If Germany had won the war the peace settlement would have been very harsh on the defeated Allies 
• Germany had already punished Russia 

Political impact 

• Rejection of German request & demands for acceptance of the treaty = caused political crisis 
• Scheidemann & some ministers reject this 
• Majority of SPD = sign treaty 
• Most sensible course - to sign the treaty whilst negotiating modifications with it 
• Led many German nationalists to join groups to over throw th Republic 
• 'lacked legitimacy & 'betrayed fatherland'
• Political demoralisation 
• Alienated moderates 
• Treaty turned some supporters against Weimar Republic 

Many working class soldiers accepted new Republic 

• America = negative 
• Treaty = unfair on Germany 
• GB&F - used treaty to enrich themselves at German expense