the treaty of versailles

background: what led to the treaty being signed?

• World War I had just concluded, which involved the following powers:  
• Austria + Hungary + Germany    VS    Britain + France + United States 
• Who lost the war? Central Powers = Austria + Hungary + Germany
• With the end of any war, comes territories lost and money owed (Kay 27)

The event: details of the treaty

• With the war ending, a peace treaty was created
• Germany had two options
• sign the Treaty of Versailles OR          
• allied forces would invade
• Germany signed in 1919 (Newton 102)

the event: signing of the treaty

• Territory
• Military
• Financial
• General
• www.firstworldwar.com

changes to territory

• Alsace-Lorraine (given to France)
• Eupen and Malmedy (given to Belgium)
• Northern Schleswig (given to Denmark)
• Hultschin (given to Czechoslovakia)
• West Prussia, Posen and Upper Silesia (given to Poland)

changes to military

• Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men
• The army was not allowed tanks or an airforce
• Germany was allowed only six naval ships and no submarines
• Allies were to keep an army of occupation on the  Rhine river for 15 yrs
• (Kaiser)

financial changes

• Germany was responsible for the debt accumulated from the war
• this amount totaled TRILLIONS of dollars
• this size of debt could never realistically be paid in full

germany's general loss

• had to take full responsibility for starting the war
• responsible for all damages caused by the war
• treaty indicated that Germany could not join forces with anyone
• signing of the treaty caused resentment + mistrust toward government 
• www.theholocaustexplained.org

impact

• Germany's economy fell into great depression
• high levels of unemployment
• lost control of a huge large amount of industrial resources
• they could not pay debt, so Allied troops took goods vs $
• HITLER'S PROMISE = regain all that was lost  (Kaiser)

works cited

• firstworldwar.com. 22 August 2009. Treaty of Versailles. 
•         14 March 2014. www.firstworldwar.com
• Kaiser, David. "Treaty of Versailles." History. 1996. Houghton
•          Publishing Company. 11 March 2014. www.history.com
• Kay, Jeff. Treaty of Versailles. Conneticut: Greenhaven Press, 2001.

works cited continued

• Newton, Douglas. "Treaty of Versailles." European History Vol 5
•        (2005): pp. 101-103.
• theholocaustexplained.org. 2011. Economic Effects of the Treaty 
•        of Versailles. 10 March 2014 www.theholocaustexplained.org