Was the Treaty of Versailles too

harsh?

By George P. Kyprianides
LLB, LLM with Distinction
University of Reading
Introduction:


The Treaty of Versailles was too harsh for the German population. The
Terms of the Treaty such as the war guilt, the reparations, and the
colonial losses weakened Germany economically, militarily, and
territorially. The Treaty of Versailles contributed in various other
problems such as the hyperinflation, and in long term the Second World
War.
On the other hand, Germany had to be punished for starting the WW1
so that aggression would be defeated, and prevent future wars.

However, the terms of the Treaty were too harsh, and instead of
defeating an aggression they started another one that was even
stronger and more revengeful.
The Treaty could have been even harsher if Clemenseau got his way.

This presentation presents both viewpoints, i.e. that the Treaty of

Versailles was indeed too harsh; On the contrary, it also presents
evidence that show that the Treaty of Versailles was not too harsh.
After these evidence are presented it arrives to its conclusion.
 Background information:
 The Treaty of Versailles was the
peace settlement signed after
Soldiers dead from WW1 Britain Germany was defeated in the
WW1.
France
2,500,000  During the War, many millions of
people in the World died. In
2,000,000 U.S.A Britain, 750, 000 people were
killed and 1,5 million were
1,500,000 wounded. In France 1,4 million
Soldiers

Germany were killed and 2,5 million were

1,000,000 wounded. In the USA, 116,000
Italy were killed. In Germany 2 million
500,000 people were dead.
 The Allies had defeated Germany
0 Belgium and blamed her for starting the war.
1 2  The four main politicians involved
Countries Austria- in the Treaty of Versailles were
Hungary Clemenseau (France), Lloyd
George (Britain), Wilson (USA),
and Orlando (Italy).
What were the Aims of the Big
Three?
 The Prime Minister of France, Georges
Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany
harshly, seek for revenge of the humiliation
caused in 1871, when France lost the
Franco-Prussian war and Alsace-Lorraine
was taken by Germany.
 He wanted to cripple Germany
economically, milarily, and territorially.
 The Prime Minister of Britain, Lloyd
George wanted to punish Germany but not
too harshly.
 He agreed that G should be blamed for the
war.
 The German navy to be weakened.
 Germany to pay reparations.
 The President of the USA, Widrow Wilson had very
different aims.
 He did not want to punish Germany harshly so that it
will not seek for revenge in the future.
 He had drawn up his 14 points known as Wilson’s 14
points that would prevent a future war.
 Some of these points were international cooperation in
trade, disarmament, no secret treaties, a League of
Nations to be set up.

 Linked to the "Big Three" was Italy lead by Vittorio

Orlando. He was frequently left on the sidelines when
the important negotiations took place despite Italy
fighting on the side of the Allies
As you can realise, Clemenceau and Wilson have
completely different aims since Clemenceau
wanted to punish G harshly so that Germany
would not recover. On the other hand, Wilson
wanted G to be punished lightly so that it will not
seek for revenge. Lloyd George was somewhere
between them because he wanted Germany
punished but not too harshly, pay reparations, and
accept the war guilt.
The terms of the Treaty of
Versailles:
 1. Germany had to accept the Blame for
starting the war.
 2. Germany had to pay £6,600 million
(called Reparations) for the damage done
during the war.
 3. Germany was forbidden to have
submarines or an air force. She could have a
navy of only six battleships, and an Army of
just 100,000 men. In addition, Germany was
not allowed to place any troops in the
Rhineland, the strip of land, 50 miles wide,
next to France. Conscription was banned.
 4. League of Nations, even though G
had turned into a parliamentary
monarchy, and the Kaiser abdicated, it
was not invited to join the League.

 5. Germany lost all its Territories.

Germany’s European colonies were
given to Britain and France.

The map below shows the territorial losses for

Germany.
Map
Primary sources:
 Irs a Primary Source. It comes from a
member of the British delegation to Paris in
1919.
 He says that the terms of the Treaty are too


harsh.
The most harsh terms are the reparations and
indemnity, the fact that they do not have
security, since their army in soldiers, tanks,
and battleships were reduced.
 In addition, all the people are unsatisfied
with this Treaty.
 The only people who approve this Treaty are
the ‘fire-eaters’ (touch politicians) such as
Clemenceau.
 Generally, this is a primary source since the
author lived at the time and was also a
member of the British delegation in Paris.
 It is a reliable source for two reasons. Firstly,
the author comes from Britain, who at the
time the British population wanted to punish
Germany harshly. On the contrary, the
author is objective because he says that the
Treaty for Germany is too harsh because of
the reparations and security reasons..
Secondly, the letter is for his father so letters
like these are considered primary sources ant
thus reliable
 Source 17
 I have every hope that Lloyd George, who
is fighting like a Welsh terrier, will
succeed in…imposing some
modification[change] in the terms…Now
that we see them as a whole, we realise
that they are much too stiff…the real
crime is the reparation and indemnity
chapter, which is immoral and senseless.
There is not a single person among the
younger persons here who is not unhappy
and disappointed at the terms. The only
people who approve are the old fire-eaters.
 Harold Nicolson (member of the British
delegation to Paris). Extract from
Nicolson’s letter to his father, June 1919,
from Peacemaking 1919, 1933.
 It’s a primary source because it comes
from Clemenseau who lived at the time
and took part in the Treaty of
Versailles. He wrote this source in
 Source B
1921, 2 years after the Treaty was
signed.
 Finally were there not,
 He says that G was punished but not too
harshly (not crushed) and they could
as to day, Germans,
join up and gain power again. beaten but not
 Clemenseau like the French population,
believed that the Treaty of Versailles crushed, ready by a
was not harsh enough.
 Even though The German army rare blending of
was reduced to 100,000 men
and the German navy shameless trickery and
disbanded.
 c. £6,600 reparations for the
pugnacity to aspire to
damage done during the war. hegemony?
 d. Germany lost Alsace-
Lorraine, other land in Europe,  Georges Clemenceau, writing in
and all her colonies. 1921 about the need to subject
 He was not satisfied. He wanted a Germany to harsh terms in the
harsher treaty and Germany to be split
up into smaller states. So that it will be Treaty
difficult to join up and regain power.

 This is a speech from Lloyd
George, the Prime Minister of
Britain who took part in the
Treaty of Versailles thus
primary source.
 He says that the Treaty of
Versailles is too harsh for the
Germans.
 Britain which is much richer
than Germany, faced
difficulties in paying 1 billion
pounds, and Germany has to
pay 2 billion and thus that
would be very difficult for
Germany.
 Germany was weaken greatly
by seizing its colonies, by
reducing its army to 100,000
men, and other military forces,
Also weakened by reparations.
 Source
 I am one of the four upon whom
devolved the onerous task of drafting
the treaties of 1919 . . .
 The conditions that were imposed
upon Germany were ruthlessly applied
to the limit of her endurance.
 She paid £2,000,000,000 in
reparations. We experienced
insuperable difficulties in paying
£1,000,000,000 to America - and we
are a much richer country than
Germany.
 We stripped her of all her colonies.
 We deprived her of part of her home
provinces.
 We took her great fleet away from her.
 We reduced her army of millions to
100,000 men.
 We deprived her of artillery, tanks,
airplanes, and broke up all the
machinery she possessed for re-
equipping herself.
 David Lloyd George
 This source comes from
Whiston Churchill, a member
of the government, a serving
officer during the war and a
Prime Minister later on.
 It’s a primary source,
Churchill lived at the time and
was a member of the
government at the time.
 He believes that the Treaty of
Versailles was a ‘fair
judgement’.
 France and Britain, ‘the
authors of the new map of
Europe’ were pleased.
 In addition, he says that this
Treaty had pleased all the
populations since they wanted
Germany to be punished and
they had succeed.
 Source 21
 …a fair judgement upon the
settlement, a simple
explanation of how it arose,
cannot leave the authors of
the new map of Europe
under serious reproach. To
an overwhelming extent the
wishes of the various
populations prevailed.
 Whiston Churchill, speaking in
1919. He had been a member of
the government and a serving
officer during the war.
Secondary sources:
 It’s a secondary source
that comes from John D Clare
(2002).
 He says that the Treaty was too
harsh for the German population.
 Not only the Germans were
appalled by the Treaty of Versailles
but also many British and American
politicians and also a large
proportion of the British population.
 He says that we can understand
how hard and badly the Germans
felt by the fact that this lead them
to support Adolf Hitler who was a
dictator and lead the world IN
ANOTHER WAR (WW2)
 Source
 It wasn’t just the Germans who
were horrified by the Treaty –
Lloyd George, JM Keynes,
most of the British public, the
American Senate… they were
all astounded at how harsh it
was. And if we – and they –
can understand just how crazy
and unfair it all was, how badly
must the Germans have felt?
 And of course we know how
badly the Germans felt – they
felt 'Adolf Hitler' badly.
 John D Clare (2002)

 This is a secondary source
that come from P.Alter,
2000.
 He says that it was a light
Treaty for Germany,they
had a moderate Treaty if
someone considers that it
had started the War.
 All the propaganda against
the Treaty was
exaggerated because it
was too light and G had
escaped from the
consequences and defeat
of the War.
 Overall, it says that it was
not a harsh treaty.
 Source C: from the German
Question and Europe by
P.Alter, 2000.
 The Germans failed to
appreciate the moderating
influence exerted by the British
on the Allies’ deliberations
when they began in Paris in
1919. Bearing in mind that G
has willingly started a war and
that during the war, both sides
in the conflict had voiced far
reaching plans for annexations,
the Versailles Treaty was in
fact moderate. This is often
overlooked in the face of the
noisy complaints and
condemnations made by its
critics in later years. All the
propaganda against the Treaty
was highly exaggerated. The
Germans did not fully grasp
how lightly they had escaped
the consequences of war and
 Taylor in this source  Source 2
says that The Germans  Destined for

felt that the Treaty of Repudiation

Versailles was ‘unfair,  Though the Germans
wicked, and a slave accepted the treaty in the
treaty’. formal sense of agreeing
to sign it, none took the
 They did not sign it signature seriously. The
seriously and hoped to treaty seemed to them to
abundant it in the future. be wicked, unfair,
If it did not get dictation, a slave treaty.
destroyed by its own All Germans intended to
illogical (rigid). repudiate it at some time
 Taylor believes that it in the future, if it did not
was too harsh for the fall to pieces of its own
absurdity.
Germans so they felt
 AJP Taylor, The History
like they were slaves
of the First World War
with this Treaty.
(1963)
What were the German reactions
to the Treaty of Versailles?
 The Germans were horrified by the by the
Treaty.
 They would lose 10% of their land, all its
overseas colonies, 12.5% of its population,
16% of its coalfields and almost half of its Source A:
iron and steel industry.
 In addition, they had to accept the war guilt
and pay a large sum of 6.6 million pounds as The disgraceful Treaty is being
reparations. They felt that it was unfair since
the blame of the war should be shared. signed today.
 They felt upset with the disarmament because
100 000 soldiers was the a very small
proportion for a country of G’s size. Also, by Don’t forget it!
the fact that they were the only ones to
disarm.
 Moreover, they felt a strong sense of injustice We will never stop until we win
as they lost all their colonies which were the
symbol of pride for them, and went to Britain
back what we deserve.
and France.
 Lastly, the fact that they were not invited in From Deutsche Zeitung, a German
the League of Nations made them feel
newspaper, 28 June 1919
even more unhappy and seek for
revenge.
 'Peace and future cannon fodder' -
a British cartoon of 1920.
 'The Tiger' was a nickname for
Clemenceau. In the caption,
Clemenceau is saying: 'Curious! I
seem to hear a child weeping'.
 How old will the weeping child
be in 1940?
 This cartoon is suggesting that
there will be another war in 21
years time.
 As you can see, the child
that looks helpless and
cries represents G. After
the Treaty of Versailles, G
was too weak and had no
choice but to accept the
Treaty.
 However, the
harshness of this
Treaty will make the
Germans seek for
revenge.
 In this cartoon, the
vampire represents
Clemenseau sucking the
life blood of the
Germany.
 Germany is represented
by the woman who has
laid down but can do
nothing.
 It shows the weak
position that G, and was
now in the mercy of the
French.
 The message of this
cartoon is that G is too
weak because the
French had crippled
them by the Treaty of
Versailles.
Reactions of the public towards
the Treaty of Versailles:
 In France, the public was not satisfied by the Treaty.
Clemenseau also believed that the Treaty was not too
harsh and G could recover and take power.
 In Britain, the public was satisfied with the Treaty.
Lloyd George received a ‘hero's welcome’ back in
Britain. However, he described the Treaty as ‘a great
pity’ and indicated that he believed that another war
would happen soon because of it.
 In the USA, they felt that the Treaty was too harsh.
The American Congress refused to approve the
Treaty. Wilson was very disappointed with the
Treaty. He said that if he was a German he would not
have signed it.
 The palace of Versailles in
Paris.
 This is where the terms of
the Treaty were decided.
 At the time, the atmosphere
in Paris in 1919 was nasty
(horrifying) due to the many
human loses from the WW1.
Some historians argue that
the terms of the Treaty were
too harsh reflecting the
atmosphere in Paris at the
time.
Effects of the Treaty of
Versailles: The Treaty of Versalles

contributed in various problems
later on. Some of which are the
hyperinflation in 1923 and the
WW2 in 1939.
 The Reparations in the Treaty
of Versailles (6.6 million
pounds) contributed in the
hyperinflation because G could
not pay the Allies reparations.
The French needed the money
to pay their loans so they
invaded Rhineland. The
government in order to solve
the problem printed more
money and borrowed money
from banks. As a result
hyperinflation was created.
 The Treaty of Versailles contributed in the WW2.
 This was done because the Treaty was too harsh
and G wanted a revenge.

 The Treaty of Versailles was one of the reasons

for Hitler to gain enormous power because he said
that if the Treaty of Versailles was a problem he
could abolish it.
 As a result, he gained power, became a dictator,
and lead the World in Another WAR!
Conclusion:
 It is fair to conclude that the Treaty of Versailles
was too harsh on the German population.
 The Terms of the Treaty such as the war guilt, the
reparations, and the territorial losses weakened
Germany economically, militarily, and
territorially.
 It contributed in various problems some of which
are the hyperinflation and in the long term the
WW2.
 On the other hand, the Treaty could have been
Further thinking
 Did this fuel the Germans with hatred?
 WW2?
 Does this have any take at all on why
Germany in 2014 seems to a harsh player in
the E.U.
 Could this Treaty have anything to do with
the “direction” E.U. is going?