Ap Euro Dbq

DBQ After the devastation of World War I, the vast majority of people saw the world in a totally different light. So many people had died. The future of society seemed pessimistic and dark at best. The Big Four had come together in France to sign the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending the war in 1918. I agree with the statement that the Treaty of Versailles was ill-created, bringing about far more problems than it solved and later paving the road to World War II. Political, social, and economic issues arose due to it, and society was restless. Countless political problems were directly caused by the Versailles Treaty. The Big Four consisted of Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Britain, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, Prime Minister Orlando Vittorio of Italy, and President Woodrow Wilson of America. They met at the lavish palace of Versailles Wilson brought his Fourteen Points plan, which would supposedly end war forever if followed. He called for open diplomacy, free trade, and political freedom for Russia (Doc. 1). As the only head of state at the meeting, Wilson undoubtedly had America’s best interests in mind. He was, however, an arrogant man, and he was spoiled and thus held high expectations. Wilson also spoke to Congress in 1919 and addressed the ever-increasing nationalistic wave; he encouraged African and Asian countries to follow suit (Doc. 2). The bulk of the Versailles Treaty doled out Germany’s numerous punishments for “starting the war.” Germany was forced to pay for all of the damage caused by the war, and their army had to be exceptionally reduced. Germany lost great amounts of their land. The Baltic countries that were so adamant in getting their independence from the Ottoman Empire received it, but as a huge, joint country known as Yugoslavia. Land was also taken by Germany and pulled together to form Czechoslovakia (Doc. 8).Germany, however, remained somewhat optimistic and tried to regain their power. If anything, their anger at being so severely punished later motivated them to fight back hard in World War II. Hitler uses all of the past cruelty of enemy countries, including Britain, to rally German nationalism and support. He tells how unfairly the Germans were treated in the Versailles Treaty and demands that Germans band together and be there for one another. He says he is not interested in war, but it feels too much like just a strategic maneuver to increase nationalism and thus power. Hitler is also obviously gaining more popularity and credence (Doc. 5).
Social turmoil racked whole peoples and countries, crippling them from fulfilling their dreams and desires. New intellectual and artistic trends sought to fill the void. Existentialism gained popularity, but it becomes much more atheistic during this time period. In the 1920s an architect solemnly commented that the old world was gone. As an architect, he/she noticed that the world was uninspiring, probably feeling pressured to continue creating art. Since the old, conventional techniques were a thing of the past, artists were left confused (Doc. 3). Other artists benefitted from the circumstances and pioneered expressionism. Hitler reflected on the days following the Great War in his autobiography Mein Kampf, in which he sneers at the German loss in the war. He feels guilty and upset (Doc. 4). Aspects of Stalin’s and Hitler’s rules could later be considered as nihilist, or having absolutely no morals. As the economy suffered, the youth of Europe suffered. Starving orphans littered the streets and received no education. Literacy would have probably decreased noticeably (Doc. 9). Economic instability was pretty universal after the war. While industrialization increased, unemployment rates were high. In Berlin, lines full of unemployed Germans looking for work stretched far down the streets (Doc. 10). Famished orphans filled the sidewalks (Doc. 9). Europeans worried about the state of their economies. In a letter to Chancellor Stresemann, the archbishop of Munich, Cardinal von Faulhaver, worries that inequality such as race might keep some workers unemployed. Because he is a prominent Catholic figure, he seems to want to preach the subject of equality and compassion of all. He strangely supports Jews; most Catholic leaders would simply try to convert them. During his life, he protested against anti-Semitic treatment and was a crucial factor in continuing the persecution of Jews (Doc. 6). Every country tried their best to get their economy back on top. In President Wilson’s Fourteen Points, he calls for free trade. As president, he had America’s best interests in mind, and he really wanted America to quickly recover from the war. He also sought to help Europe’s economy prosper once more, as Europe contained America’s largest trading partners (Doc. 1). Political, social, and economic tensions increased as a result of the Versailles Treaty, which eventually led to future international conflicts. I wholeheartedly concur that it simply created more trouble than it aimed to resolve. Aptly known as the “peace to end all peace,” the Versailles Treaty definitely changed history as we know it today. Not long after it was signed, World War II transpired into what was the bloodiest war in all of history. Wholly unavoidable and unnecessary, it would never have altered our world so much if not for the greediness and tyrannical natures of people.