The Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

The Treaty of Versailles Essay a. What restrictions were placed on Germany’s armed forces by the treaty of Versailles? (4 marks) -Conscription banned -Not allowed an air force or submarines -Only allowed 6 battleships -Only allowed 100,000 men in the army b. Explain why Clemenceau wanted to treat Germany so harshly (6 marks) -During the First World War, two thirds of men in the French army had been killed or injured. Not only this but their industry, land and population were all in decline while Germany’s was increasing. They felt they had to stop this and make Germany pay for the suffering they had caused France. -France felt threatened by Germany and wanted to do something that would cripple and weaken Germany to stop them attacking France. The French saw the Treaty of Versailles as an opportunity to do this and wanted to ensure it was harsh enough to stop Germany. -Clemenceau particularly wanted to treat Germany harshly because of the pressure he was under from the French people. They were feeling the full after effects of World War 1 and wanted to make Germany feel the same way. c. How far were the terms of the Treaty justified? Explain your answer. (10 marks) The Treaty of Versailles is justified because Germany treated other countries, especially Russia, very harshly during the war and they had to feel how the other countries felt and suffer the consequences the war brought. -Not only was the Treaty justified, but it could have been made a lot worse. Many countries were angry about the war and some felt that the Treaty simply didn’t punish and cripple Germany in a way that would stop them from starting another war. They wanted an even harsher treaty. -However, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified, as the huge  £6.6 billion worth of reparations that was forced upon German left their economy in shambles. This led to the Ruhr Crisis in 1923, hyperinflation and food shortage in Germany. It showed that the victors had very little sympathy towards Germany and simply wanted them to suffer. Not only did the Treaty leave Germany in a terrible economic situation, but the fact that they were left out of all discussions about the terms of the Treaty and that they weren’t invited to join the League of Nations, simply angered Germany and made them want revenge. -The Treaty of Versailles not only made Germany suffer, but made them accept full blame and responsibility for the war. This is not fair as Germany only played a part in starting the war. Many other countries cause a lot of damage and Germany alone cannot be held entirely responsible. In conclusion, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified as it simply made the situation worse, angering Germany and leaving them wanting revenge. Yes, Germany had to be punished but not to such the extent as crippling their economy and leaving them almost powerless.