The impact of the Treaty of Versailles

• 11/11/1918 - Germany signed the armistice.
• But not until 28/6/1919 that the treaty ended the First World War signed in the Palace of Versailles in France.
• When the terms of the settlements were published, huge numbers of Germans were horrified.

Germany lost:

• 13% of its land
• 48% of its iron production
• More than 6 million citizens were absorbed into other countries

Article 231 - The War Guilt Cause.

• This stated that Germany had to accept blame for starting the war in 1914, and had to agree to pay compensation for the damage she had caused to the Allied powers.
• This was compounded when entry to the League of Nations was denied, thus showing that Germany was a pariah.

• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.
• Eupen-Malmedy given to Belgium after a plebiscite.
• Saar to be administered by the League of Nations.
• Posen and West Prussia given to Poland, and Eastern Upper Silesia given to Poland after a plebiscite.
• Danzig created a Free City.
• Memel to be administered by the League of Nations.
• No union (Anschluss) with Austria.
• Northern Schleswig given to Denmark after a plebiscite.

• Army not to exceed 100,000.
• No tanks, armoured cars and heavy military permitted.
• No military aircraft permitted.
• No submarines permitted.
• Rhineland demilitarised.

• Coal to be mined in the Saar by France.
• Reparations fixed at £6,600 million.
• Cattle and sheep to be given to Belgium and France as reparations.
• Germany to build merchant ships to replace Allied ships sunk by U-boats.

• For most Germans the Treaty stoked the fire of shame and humiliation.
• To them Versailles was nothing more than a dictated peace (Diktat).
• A scapegoat was needed – and the Weimar government and its politicians fitted the bill.
• The Weimar cabinet initially rejected the terms of the peace settlement
• 19/6/1919 Chancellor Scheidemann resigned in disgust.
• Leading politicians called the terms a Gewaltfrieden (an enforced peace).
• However, many believed the notion that the army had not been defeated by the Allies but had been forced to surrender by the new government.
• The army had been ‘stabbed in the back’ (Dolchstoss) by the politicians who signed the armistice. These politicians became known as the ‘November Criminals’.