World War 1 resulted in many significant consequences; one of which was the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was a peace settlement signed after World War 1 which came to an end in 1918. The treaty was formed in order to punish Germany for all damages she had supposedly caused in World War 1. The treaty was signed at the Versailles Palace near Paris, between Germany and the Allies. The three most important politicians were there; David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and Woodrow Wilson.
The treaty of Versailles was a peace settlement between Germany and the Allies after World War 1. The many countries that defeated Germany in World War 1 blamed Germany for causing the war and initiating severe damages.The treaty took away and placed control …show more content…
The following sources show how some historians viewed the treaty of Versailles. These historians agree that the treaty was in fact harsh and unbearable for Germany. They all state how Germany was not economically stable for the treaty. The first primary source quoted by Dr. Ruth Henig from Lancaster University, is a historian’s point of view of the treaty. He states that the treaty of Versailles was without a doubt a reasonable treaty. Source B is quoted by Wolfgang Mommensen, a historian from University of Dusseldorf, and states that the treaty was ‘harsh but understandable’ to some extent. Source C quoted by Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau a historian from Université de Picardie, and he states that the treaty of Versailles caused a lot of humiliation to Germany and that it was wrong for the Allies to blame Germany for starting World War 1. Overall,it is understood that the treaty was unjust nevertheless Germany carried out the majority of the …show more content…
The caption states "You've got to swallow it (the pill) whether you like it or not". This cartoon shows how Germany was blamed and forced to accept the treaty of Versailles whether she liked it or not. The treaty was to punish Germany for what she had caused, with hope that Germany would realise the pain that was instigated. The treaty affected Germany physically, financially and politically. Financially, Germany was held accountable for World War 1, therefore had to pay compensation to the Allies. Politically, Germany’s government had retired, refusing the treaty. The incoming government had no other choice than to sign it. The treaty also demanded a trial for the former Kaiser, but this was not carried out as the Dutch government refused to hand him over. This ultimately stopped any chance of the German Monarchy being re-established. This primary source is the perspective of a historian by the name of Wolfgang Mommsen. He states that Germany was not prepared politically for the treaty and he believes that a less harsh treaty would have made things better. He also states that the allied governments were under pressure by their own public who demanded Germany to pay for all damages. “The Treaty of Versailles radically altered the Geography of Europe. The Treaty had clauses that resulted in areas of land being taken from Germany. The following maps illustrate the scale of these losses”.