USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

[SOURCES]
What punishment did Germany receive after losing World War I?

(A) They had to pay reparations

(B) They had to give up land to France

(C) They had to disarm

(D) ** All of the above

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -The document stripped Germany of 13 percent of its territory and one tenth of its population. The Rhineland was occupied and demilitarized, and German colonies were taken over by the new League of Nations. The German army was diminished to 100, 000 men and the country was forbidden to draft soldiers.

Concept note-2: -The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany harshly because Allied powers, Great Britain and France especially, blamed Germany for starting the war and the subsequent death and destruction.

Concept note-3: -The treaty of Versailles was fair to take away Germany’s armed forces and colonies as it protected the rest of the world in the short term and punished them. However, we now know that the Treaty of Versailles failed as the world has seen another, even more horrific war.

Concept note-4: -What was Germany’s punishment? They were not allowed to have a military force. They had to give up some of their territory (a major cause of WWII), and they were forced to pay reparations for the damages to other countries and for their war costs (another cause of WWII).

Concept note-5: -Initially, France-who was represented by George Clemenceau-wanted to punish Germany for the war they felt the Germans had caused. France wanted to regain its territory in the Rhineland. Great Britain sought reparations, or payments for damages, from Germany.