The Fairness of the Treaty of Versailles Essay - 704 Words

The Fairness of the Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement that ended World War One in 1918. The treaty itself was actually signed on the 28th June 1919 at the former palace of Versailles, just outside Paris, by Germany and the Allies. The treaty was a compromise between the countries, trying to satisfy each demand - but was it overall fair to Germany? Germany was affected considerably by the terms of the Treaty, both in material and image. Firstly, she was forced to accept full responsibility for the war; establishing a foreground for a huge reparations bill. As it was decided that the entire war had been the fault of Germany and Germany alone, much to the†¦show more content†¦They were ofcourse also very distressed by the reparations themselves, which depleted the citizens lives and wages, and the fact that the price due was so high. Having her land reduced both inside and outside Germany also meant that there were less means for attaining the money required - for example, less raw materials. It was also felt that the terms on Germanys military was very unfair; they would have perhaps accepted their forces being lowered by a percentage, but forcing them to cut down to just 100,000 men, etc., was regarded as ridiculous; how would they defend themselves if, for example, the communists attacked? What outraged the Germans further is that, unlike in Wilsons Fourteen Points, the Allies and other countries were not put under the same disability (the Allies, etc., did not have to reduce their military). Therefore, it could be argued that Germanys objections were justified; the reparations demanded were far too high, finally being fixed at  £6,600 million -  £660 billion in modern rates - in 1921. Soon, people in Germany had to pay almost double for necessities such as food. In some places within the country people actually died of starvation, and often the only Germans living well would be the farmers, who provisioned their own food and sold or traded it. A source tells of incidents in which people who carriedShow MoreRelatedThe Fairness of the Treaty of Versailles Essay1001 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fairness of the Treaty of Versailles When assessing the fairness of the Treaty of Versailles it is necessary to consider the impact of the treaty, not only on Germany, but also on all the major powers involved in both the treaty and the First World War. In order to determine the fairness of the treaty it is important to, in Germanys case especially, consider the Treaty of Versailles in economic, military, territorial and colonial terms. There are also other countriesRead MoreWas the Treaty of Versailles a Success? Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesWas the Treaty of Versailles a success? There are several ways in which the Treaty of Versailles was a success but there are also some which show it was a failure. The treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement signed after World War One. The treaty was signed in Versailles Palace near Paris-hence its name-between Germany and its Allies. The three most important politicians were David Lloyd George (Britain), Georges Clemenceau (France) and Woodrow Wilson (USA) also known as ‘The Big Three’Read MoreThe Effects of WWI Essay2214 Words   |  9 Pagesto obtain peace for the Allies and â€Å"drive a wedge between the Kaisers government and the German people by holding out to them the option of a humane and reasonable peace† (Brower). This intended to lead the Central Powers to agree with the Treaty of Versailles. Another objective of these points was to remove economic barriers for international trade and increase safety. Previously, the United States had dangerous experiences travelling by ship for the sole purpose of trading, due to the EuropeanRead MoreThe Great War Of The Twentieth Century And The Unsettlement Of Imperial ism1791 Words   |  8 Pagessuper nations was expected to be â€Å"The War to End all Wars.† These nations believed that war was inevitable for the prosperity of Europe and the world. However, from a contemporary perspective, this is erroneous. The changing of warfare, the Treaty of Versailles and the reluctance of many nations, made it impossible for this to come to fruition. The Great War was the first conflict of the Twentieth Century. It was expected to be a short conflict described as a way to make peace. However, the IndustrialRead More America In World War 1 Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pagescivilized entity, could descend into the depths of carnage as depicted by trench warfare. On August 4th, 1914 President Wilson officially announced that America would be neutral in World War One. This neutral stance extended to a policy of â€Å"fairness† by which American bankers could lend money to both sides of the war. Overseas trade was more complicated. Trade with both sides was permitted and merchants crossed the Atlantic to trade. However, when the war became an economic struggle as wellRead MoreEssay about History1475 Words   |  6 Pagesneeded to raise taxes, so he agreed to convene the , which met in 1789 at Versailles. Led by the —those outside the aristocracy or church— a new was declared on June 17, 1789. Its members swore, in the Tennis Court Oath, to create a new for France. b. Nervous about the new National Constituent Assembly, the king gathered troops near Versailles and in early July of 1789. The citizens of , anxious about theRead MoreEssay on Hst276 R2 Week51516 Words   |  7 Pagesneeded to raise taxes, so he agreed to convene the Estates General, which met in 1789 at Versailles. Led by the Third Estates —those outside the aristocracy or church— a new national assembly was declared on June 17, 1789. Its members swore, in the Tennis Court Oath, to create a new constitution for France. b. Nervous about the new National Constituent Assembly, the king gathered troops near Versailles and Paris in early July of 1789. The citizens of Paris , anxious about the royal troopsRead MoreOrigins Of Putin s Political Idea s And Strategies3703 Words   |  15 Pagesagainst leading figures. He openly voiced his opposition to the U.S. abandoning the anti-ballistic missile treaty of 1972, and then offered access to Russian air space for humanitarian and search and rescue operations and then allied with various other countries to voice opposition again U.S. and British use of force to oust the Iraq government. During 2007 there was a questionable election in fairness in which a large majority of seats were won by Putin’s party for the parliament. In 2008 Putin namedRead MoreHis/276 Essay example2012 Words   |  9 PagesXVI needed to raise taxes, so he agreed to convene the Estates General, which met in 1789 at Versailles. Led by the Third Estate—those outside the aristocracy or church—a new National Assembly was declared on June 17, 1789. Its members swore, in the Tennis Court Oath, to create a new constitution for France. * Nervous about the new National Constituent Assembly, the king gathered troops near Versailles and Paris in early July of 1789. The citizens of Paris, anxious about the royal troops, formedRead More Americas Enterence into WWI was Ideological Essay3368 Words   |  14 Pagesthe Mane River and later in September the Allies drove Germany back from the Meuse River. Wilson wrote a fourteen point peace agreement that is know today as The Fourteen Points. These points would help Wilson with his dream of world peace, and fairness. Each of these points equalized something in the world so that every other nation in the world would have the same options. Wilson hoped that his fourteen points would usher in an ideological mindset like he had so the world would be a better moral