What was Germany's reaction to the treaty of Versailles? 10 points for best answer.

Question

I have to write this article in History where I'm a German reporter who is writing about the Treaty of Versailles that was just passed. I'm suppose to empathize for Germany...

You guys got any ideas on what i should say?

Thanks in advance :D

Answer 1

The treaty was greeted with shock and humiliation....after all, it was Europe's way to defeat Germany not only militarily, but socially. The Entente wanted Germany to be weak, economically and financially. The Germans, though humiliated, responded with such nationalism, such passion for their homeland, that even when the Wiemar Republic fell and Germany suffered a depression, the people still believed in their homeland. The Germans never felt that they had lost WW I, they had a hard time accepting the fact that they should have to pay for anything.

They also deeply resented the treaty, and more, resented France and England, who they saw as the worse offenders of their pride.

Answer 2

Here goes,.......    There is anger and outrage throughout Germany today at the publication outlining the conditions of this treaty.germany  has been betrayed by this diktat. The german people have been betrayed , we neither started the war and we did not lose the war. The german nation was led to believe the versaille negotiations were to be a conference for peace not a surrender.  Our navy has responded by sinking our own ships in protest. Our enemies have declared germany has 24 hours to sign the treaty or they will resume hostilities and have threatened to bring the fighting onto german soil. Chancellor scheidemann has resigned in protest and the chief of our army, von hindenburg has also resigned.President Ebert has agreed to sign the treaty but all germans are united in their belief we have been humiliated and betrayed.          (hope this helps)      

Answer 3

Occam's razor rules: WWII and Hitler.

The reprecussions were so bad -- and a model ever since to not repeat (why Germany and Japan were rebuilt instead of leaving the countries to crumble further) -- that criminals even sold dead bodies butchered as cheaper meat.

If I knew then what I know now, and was the Kaiser, I would've fought on into the 1920s. It wouldn't have been worse than WWII, and the wholesale destruction of Germany (and Hitler would've probably have died in some No Man's Land, let alone probably Stalin).

Answer 4

It was the settlement in eastern Europe which most incensed the Germans, since the German army, though ultimately defeated in the west, had been victorious on the eastern front. German leaders attacked the territorial losses to the new Polish state in the shape of the 'Polish corridor' and Upper Silesia, the prohibition on Anschluss or union with Austria, and the incorporation of large numbers of former Habsburg Sudeten Germans into the new state of Czechoslovakia as violations of Wilson's promises.

More at the link.

Answer 5

They were so outraged because they had to pay a sum of reperations. It was like signing a blank cheque as they were never made aware of how much money they would have to pay until they had agreed to sign it. Also considering that the country was already in a terrible economic situation following the money they had put into the war, it made things consideribly worse. They had to pay in the region of £12.3 billion pounds (226 billion Reichmarks in gold).

They were forced to consideribly reduce their armed forces to ensure that they were not able to restart the fighting.

Navy reduced to 15,000 men and 6 battleships.

Army reduced to no more than 100,000 troops.

No military aircraft, submarines or artillery.

This was bad as this didn't give them enough troops to defend their borders sufficiently, and there was the worry that Communist Russia might start an invasion.

The third main reason was that Germany had to give up bits of territory to Britain, France and their allies.  For example:-

Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France.

Saarland went to the League of Nations. This was a vital industrial area for coal, and would severely weaken Germany for the future.

Posen was given to Poland which took away the Polish corridor and split Germany into two.

Most importantly in this case was that self-determination was used. The people of these countries were not allowed to have a say in who they wanted to be governed under, which meant that the German people living in these regions were helpless.