USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM 1890 1919

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What are two ways the Treaty of Versailles punished Germany severely?
A
It divided Germany into four separate, occupied zones.
B
It supported economic help given to Germany by the U.S.
C
It took away German territory in Spain and Russia.
D
It forced Germany to accept blame for the war and to pay reparations.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -One of the most controversial terms of the treaty was the War Guilt clause, which explicitly and directly blamed Germany for the outbreak of hostilities. The treaty forced Germany to disarm, to make territorial concessions, and to pay reparations to the Allied powers in the staggering amount of $5 billion.

Detailed explanation-2: -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.

Detailed explanation-3: -The treaty forced Germany to surrender colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific; cede territory to other nations like France and Poland; reduce the size of its military; pay war reparations to the Allied countries; and accept guilt for the war.

Detailed explanation-4: -The treaty’s so-called “war guilt” clause forced Germany and other Central Powers to take all the blame for World War I. This meant a loss of territories, reduction in military forces, and reparation payments to Allied powers.

Detailed explanation-5: -“Hitler was committed to not just not paying, but to overturning the whole treaty, ” historian Felix Schulz told the BBC’s Olivia Lang. His refusal was seen as an act of patriotism and courage in a nation that saw the reparations as a form of humiliation. Germany made no payments during Hitler’s rule.

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