World War Two
1919-1929, The Treaty of Versailles and its effect on Germany:
The treaty of Versailles was, a proposal made by the Americans, the French, The British and Canada. The terms were harsh and very weakening to post war Germany. Some of the terms were to limit the size of the German army to 100, 000 me, banning submarines and major battleships, return the former French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, disband the air force, demilitarize the Rhineland, allowing French occupation of the Ruhr coalfields, for Germany to pay large reparations for all the damage they caused during the war, make Germany give up its African colonies, and finally admit its guilt and aggression in the war. The Germans had to unwillingly sign this treaty although they greatly did not want to. After the treaty of Versailles was signed Germany returned to the country that was in just as bad times as previous to the war starting. The treaty was all put together at the Paris Peace Conference when the American representatives proposed using President Wilsons fourteen points proposal as the way to make up the peace treaty. The other countries agreed with this way of going about the treaty. France wanted to make Germany pay for their aggression during the war, and wanted Germany to be so weak that they could never wage war again. Although Germany was severely weakened, they were able to wage war again, and the treaty has said to have made Germany more of an aggressor in the upcoming World War Two. The treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th 1919, and its contents include such articles as, the covenant of the league of nations, boundaries of Germany, political clauses of Europe, German rights and interests outside of Germany, military, naval and air clauses, prisoners of war and graves, penalties, reparations, financial clauses, economic clauses, aerial navigation, ports, water ways and railways, labor, procedure, guarantees, miscellaneous provisions. Many of these articles left Germany very crippled; it took quite awhile for Germany to rebuild itself.