Do You Think The German People Were Responsible For The Treaty Of Versailles

Treaty of Versailles Questions

1. How do you think the German people would have felt after their leaders signed such a treaty? Explain, state your answer and give examples to support it.
Many German people may have hated the Treaty of Versailles, as they were not invited to negotiate the treaty and their Government were forced to sign the treaty, meaning they had to suffer under the harsh terms. They would have felt betrayed because most would have expected their Government to fight more for their country. Anger and bitterness formed against many terms of the treaty not just destroying their economy, but for hurting their morale and pride also.
Under the treaty, Germany had to accept all blame for the war. This would have perhaps angered
Five million Allied troops died fighting in war, while another 13 million were wounded. Much of France suffered destruction of farmland, towns and historical monuments, and all Allied countries suffered huge monetary losses. By themselves, these countries would have struggled to recover from such devastation. Therefore, I think it was fair that they tried to weaken Germany and seek some compensation. However, the terms of this treaty were so harsh that Germany was suffocated economically, socially and politically. It was likely that Germans would disobey these terms and fight for more freedom, as war and the severe terms of this treaty devastated many
I understand that the treaty was created in a climate of distrust, and thus decisions that would ‘end all wars’ were not made. To the Allies, it wouldn’t have seemed unfair at the time, but perhaps they should have been more lenient with the terms for a better chance at peace.
For example, putting the entire blame of war on just Germany was unfair. Many countries were involved in the beginning of the Great War, but to just pinpoint this blame on Germany was only going to create bitterness and anger within most German people. Many felt that accepting blame for all the war was unfair and gave justification to terms that were not just. This anger meant that they wanted to be able to fight for their rights.
Reparation payments were set at 6600 million pounds. A century ago, this amount would have been astronomical, but then this was coupled with the losses of war and the treaty. Under the terms, Germany could no longer have an economy that could produce the money needed to pay these reparations, with loss of many territories, workers and industries damaging to economy. Many people would have been angry that because of the treaty, their lives were a constant struggle and their country not benefiting from the government’s earnings. Anything or anyone that brought them hope of a better life had support.