DBQ: How did the Versailles Treaty Help Cause World War II?
World War II: 80 million deaths; the largest war in history. And it is widely disputed whether the Treaty of Versailles was to blame. World War I resulted in ten million deaths (which is seemingly incomparable to World War II), but sparked a treaty to prevent further war. The superpowers of the world clashed wills over its content. The Treaty of Versailles was originally meant to liberate Eastern European countries, but in bitterness was Germany relentlessly punished. The Treaty of Versailles was the root cause of World War II through its terms causing Germany’s humiliation, insurmountable reparations, loss of land, and restriction of military.
The final product of the Versailles Treaty’s terms was the humiliation of Germany and more importantly, its individuals. Supportingly, Document D reports that, “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.” (Document D) As the Treaty enforces blame, it singles out Germany. This attempt to prevent war only fueled the fire, creating bitterness that would be a massive contribution to World War II. In agreement, Document D continues the theme, relaying that, “What they knew of the treaty was etched
The Treaty of Versailles could be described as a great step for peace by some, but in Germany the people were enraged. The Treaty of Versailles was seen by the German people as a way to take away Germany’s land and make Germany have to pay for the war. Extreme Nationalists like Adolf Hitler had a strong idea on who should be the blame for Germany’s loss of land and the failure at the Treaty of Versailles. Adolf Hitler and the Nazism party blamed the Weimar Republic. “Hitler and the Nazi Party gained power in Germany by exploiting the economic problems and constitutional weaknesses of the Weimar Republic.”
Have you ever wondered what caused World War II? Have you ever heard of the Versailles Treaty? Did you know that the Versailles Treaty was a factor in causing World War II? The Versailles Treaty was signed on June 28, 1919, seven and a half months after the fighting in World War I. Which at that time, was known as the great war.
Ninety-eight years ago, after the fighting of World War I subsided, the Treaty of Versailles (“the Treaty”) was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France by the Allied powers and Germany. The compromise of the Treaty is that it ended World War I. The conflict of the Treaty is that it fed the German’s hate for the Allied Powers and, in turn, was the cause of World War II. “In their hearts was a stern resolution that the fiasco of November 11, 1918, would not be repeated for all serious people in America, as in all nations, remembered that much hailed Versailles Treaty was sown the very seeds of World War II” (Library Of Congress. Manzanar free press, November 12, 1942. 1942. Newspaper. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn84025948/1942-11-12/ed-1/. )
“The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.” However this statement was not the end of Germany’s humiliating troubles and as a matter of fact, things were going to get much worse. The war guilt clause had been fundamental basis on which Germany was required to pay 6.6million euros in addition to supplying raw materials to the Allies free of charge.3 However, Winston of U.S.A did not want Germany to be punished to the point of destitute where the nation will crumble and be worthless which lead to the real dilemma posed at Versailles which was “How much, at her utmost capacity, can Germany pay?”4. It was decided by U.S.A, Britain and France, who all held differing views upon the matter of placing Reparations on Germany. France wanted to cripple Germany as much as possible due to their geographic annihilation during the
This essay analyses the origins of the Second World War by briefly summarizing the events from 1919-1939. However, most emphasis is put on the amount of responsibility the Treaty of Versailles deserves for the outbreak of war. Other than analysing the Treaty of Versailles on its own, it also analyses the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash on the world, the rise of Fascism and Nazism, as well as the rise of Adolf Hitler, the failure of the League of Nations and the appeasement of the Fascist and Nazi regimes by Britain and France throughout the 1930s. Hence the Treaty of Versailles plays a
Some of the most significant aspects of this included the widespread myth of the ‘stab in the back’, the humiliation of Germany that came from the treaty, and the multiple times that the Nazis criticised the Treaty of Versailles. The powerful ‘stab in the back’ myth was a very common belief in Germany, a belief that was greatly strengthened by the Treaty of Versailles and was later reinforced by the Nazi party who used its popularity to attract support. The humiliation of Germany that was brought about by the Treaty was also meant that the German people were angry with their government, making it easier for the Nazis to later take advantage of this anger by attacking the treaty and the government that signed it. It also meant that the Nazis could attract support through the means of making themselves appealing to the people who were angry and believed the myth by having their 25 point program say outright that, if elected, the Nazis would abrogate the Treaty all together. Sources 2 and 4 are both examples of times when the Nazis party has attacked the Treaty and show how Nazis felt about the Treaty and how they used the treaty to gain popularity among the German people who were known to feel humiliated and bitter about it. This humiliation and bitterness is shown in sources 1, 3, 5 and 6 where either German sources from the timer period exhibit their feelings towards the treaty of Versailles or historians recount these feelings. Overall, the sources shown demonstrate that the social implications of the Treaty of Versailles were able to aid in the Nazi’s rise to power, as it meant the Nazis were able to attract support through appealing to the people who felt anger about the Treaty
The mandate of Article(s) 231 and 232 , (respectively titled “The War Guilt Clause” and “Reparations”) of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th, 1919 served as unintentional catalysts for the arise of revisionism in post-war Germany, and its fall out of the international order following the Paris Peace Conference. These two articles politically, socially, and economically ravaged Germany, and created societal circumstances in which a totalitarian dictatorship (the National Socialist German Workers Party or “Nazi” party) gained popularity and was viewed as necessary in order for Germany to be restored to its former status as an economic and political world power. The national humiliation and economic burden that Articles 231 and 232 created injured German pride, strained its economy and triggered a resentful and hostile outlook to the “new peace” that the Allied leaders believed they had formulated. The German people viewed this as a “dictated peace” (Diktat) that had been enforced on them. It was seen by Germany as an unfair, un-justified and un-realistic punishment for losing the war, and instead of creating a long-term and prosperous peace on the European continent, the guilt and reparations of Articles 231 and 232 ignited a flame of vengeance in Germany that would evolve into an ultra-nationalist inferno and consume the world into a second and even more devastating and savage war.
This investigation assesses the significance the terms presented on the Treaty of Versailles had on Germany and how it ultimately resulted in the Second World War that began in 1939.
The Treaty of Versailles was the result of World War I. The treaty caused hate within Germany. Germany paid 6.6 million U.S. dollars for reparations. Germany felt that they were the only ones that got punished. Hitler breaking the Treaty of Versailles was one of the main causes of World War II. Hitler rearmed Germany to prepare for the invasions that come later. Hitler rearmed the Rhineland to protect Germany’s borders. Hitler Annexed Austria to gain land. Hitler took the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Britain and France did nothing to stop Hitler as part their appeasement policy. Hitler Invasion of Poland was the last straw. France and Great Britain realized that their appeasement policy wasn’t working,
The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the allied powers, which consisted of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the United States, on 28th June 1919, in the hall of mirrors, effectively ending World War One (WW1) after an armistice of seven months . This treaty established the League of Nations and decided the repercussions that Germany would have to pay for instigating the war. Some of these repercussions were demilitarization, losing ten percent of its overall land and other financial obligations. These repercussions humiliated Germany and turned the allies against themselves. This paper will focus on how the Treaty of Versailles caused more problems than it solved by causing resentment between Germany and the rest of Europe
The Treaty of Versailles was a treaty signed by the winners of WWI meant to punish the aggressors of the war. The treaty opened the door for WWII to develop into an international total war. The Treaty of Versailles made WWII inevitable due to the absurd amount of repercussions Germany had to deal with, the failure of the league of nations, and the expansion of Japan.
As the world’s most powerful men gathered in Paris in the summer of 1919 the air smelled of different thinks for different men. Peace – a seemingly simple and unarguable term – was not so, and this would lead to many different views on how to settle the first global conflict. As it turned out, the primary thought amongst the victorious Allies was not one of settling, one of peace, but how of revenge and humiliation. When they should have turned their focus towards the rebuilding of a war-ravaged Europe, they decided to heap all the guilt – quite accurately, all, as seen through the War Guilt Clause – on Germany. The debilitating effects of the Treaty of Versailles did perhaps its accomplish its implicit desire – demoralizing Germany – but as
World War Two caused the most devastating destruction out of all the wars in the history. The societies of nearly every nation in Europe were either directly or indirectly affected by it. The outbreak of the war was triggered by many little factors that led up to this deadly conflict. In general, the main causes for World War Two related to political, economic and social factors.
The Treaty of Versailles is the most important treaty signed after the First World War on 28th of June in 1919, between defeated Germany - Associated Powers, and the Allied Powers - victorious United States, Great Britain, France, and other allied states. For the Germans, it is a symbol of the humiliation of a militarily unconquered empire, that has never been reconciled internally. In the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Palace, peacemakers faced upon a wondrous task, to create a treaty to bring peace between nations after First World War. They had to approach not only the problems that had caused the war, but also another obstacles occasioned and worsen by it, when the memories of destruction, bloodshed and suffering were still
Through the course of history, the most destructive war had emerged creating a distraught and treacherous 6 years. World War 2 was the result of 50 million people's death. Many lost their life and their love ones through this war. Both civilians and military lost their lives. World War 2 was fought over 6 continents and every ocean. It was by far the most global war fought, with 50 nations involved. Causes of World War 2 included the result of the Versailles Treaty, American Isolationism and the most important reason; Pearl Harbor