The Impact of the Versailles Treaty on Germany

* Wilson's 14 points - looked fair / lenient - national self-determination, no reparations (punishment ignored) not harsh

* Thought Lloyd George would want to be kind

How did the treaty affect Germany?

* Territorially - Polish corridor, E. borders, Alsace-Lorraine, N. Schleswig, Eupen Malmedy, Danzig, 6 million Germans told they are no longer German, 13% land changed hands

* Militarily - army 100,000, no air force, no conscription, 6 warships, no subs., no heavy artillery - de-militarised Rhineland, only allowed 7 years service - army worse than Belgium

* Economically - Saarland output to France, £6.6 billion reparations - not announced till 1921, Germany lost 10% industry, 15% agricultural land lost (East)

* Psychologically - hard done by - population gutted (mainly from expectations) - leads to extremists, leads to national humiliation (war guilt + military weakening) didn't feel they had lost the war - Treaty was a diktat, forced to be signed in Paris - same rooms when in 1870 French surrendered to Germans - Hall of Mirrors

John Maynard Keynes (British economist) - Treaty provided the basis or 'a just an lasting war'

'Deutsche Zeitung' (German newspaper): 'the disgraceful treaty is being signed' 'the German people with unceasing labour, press forward to re-conquer the place among the nations to which they are entitled.'

German criticisms of Versailles

* 'Doltchuss' - stab-in-the-back impact on undermining Weimar Regime - shouldn't have signed

* Monsters (evil) signed the treaty - vindictive

* Will lead to another war - revenge - leaders are insensitive - don't look forward

* Treaty denied human rights - no self-determination

* Encourages opposition - made Germans hostile idea of rightful place - Germany should be great, Versailles represses Germany's rightful status

* Germany lost its international status (due to France) - Germany has been split up into two

* Military criticism

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