Option B: Twentieth century topic WHICH PART OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES DID GERMANY HATE THE MOST? Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. Background Information The terms of the Treaty of Versailles came as a dreadful shock to most Germans. There were many things about it they did not like. They had been expecting that it would be based on President Wilson's Fourteen Points. They also took exception to the enormous reductions made to Germany's armed forces, the loss of German land which damaged its economic strength, the War Guilt Clause and reparations. How far was German hatred of the Treaty of Versailles based on the War Guilt Clause? SOURCE A We came to Versailles in the expectation of receiving a peace proposal based on the agreed principles. We were firmly resolved to do everything in our power to fulfil our grave obligations. We hoped for the 'peace of justice', which had been promised to us. We were horrified when we read the demands made upon us. The demands of this treaty are more than the German people can bear. We must lose Upper Silesia which forms the very foundation of industrial life throughout East Germany. Germany must agree to bear all the war expenses of its enemies which would exceed many times the total amount of German assets. Meanwhile our enemies demand reparation for damage suffered. The sum to be paid is to be fixed by our enemies. No limit is fixed. The German people will be condemned to perpetual slave labour. The reconstruction of our economic life is made impossible. We must surrender our merchant fleet. We are to hand over to our enemies our property in all German enterprises abroad. No German trader will be protected from these measures. Germany is prepared to devote its entire economic strength to reconstruction. It wishes to cooperate effectively in the reconstruction of the devastated regions of Belgium and Northern France. Germany demands a neutral enquiry into the responsibility for the war and the issue of crimes committed in the conduct of the war. The responsibility of all countries involved in the war should be investigated. From a letter by Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau, leader of the German delegation, to Georges Clemenceau, President of the Paris Peace Conference, May 1919. SOURCE B The peace conditions are so hard and humiliating that even those who have the smallest expectation of a 'peace of justice' are bound to be deeply disappointed. Has Germany deserved such a hard peace? Everybody knows how we condemned the crimes committed against humanity by Germany. Our opinion of the lust for power and conquest of Germany is well known. But a condemnation of wartime actions must not amount to a lasting condemnation of a people. Is there any sense in punishing a people in such a way as the Allies wish to punish Germany? The Allies desire the complete destruction of Germany. The financial burden is so heavy that Germany is reduced to economic slavery. This peace is a mockery of President Wilson's principles. These terms will never give peace. All Germans must feel that they wish to shake off the heavy burden imposed by the Allies, and we fear that opportunity will soon present itself. Chained and enslaved, Germany will always remain a menace to Europe. We understand the bitter feelings of the Allies. But that does not make these peace terms less wrong or less dangerous to the world. An article in a Dutch newspaper, June 1919. The Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War. SOURCE C The more we understood the spirit of this Treaty, the more we became convinced that it could not work. The demands raised go beyond the power of the German Nation. We know the impact of the hate we are encountering here, and we have heard the passionate demand of the victors, who require us, the defeated, to pay the bill and plan to punish us as the guilty party. We are asked to confess ourselves the only culprits; in my view, such a confession would be a lie. We strongly deny that the people of Germany, who were convinced that they were waging a war of defence, should be burdened with the whole guilt of that war. A message from the German Delegation to the Allies, June 1919. SOURCE D [Source D] A cartoon entitled 'Consolation' published in a German magazine, 24 June 1919. The mother is saying to her child, ‘When we have paid 100,000,000,000 marks, then I shall be able to give you something to eat.' SOURCE E [Source E] A German cartoon commenting on the military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, published in 1933. The title of the cartoon is ‘The enormous military superiority of our neighbours'. The chains represent alliances. Germany is surrounded by (left to right) France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland. F = peacetime strength of armies; R = reserves. SOURCE F Britain, France and Russia all had reasons to overthrow Germany. Britain for commercial and political reasons, France because of its policy of revenge, Russia because it was an ally of France. We did everything in our power to reach an agreement with Britain. We built a navy for our own protection. The idea that we built it to attack the far stronger British fleet is absurd. Among the leaders of the Allies who really know, not a single one is really convinced of Germany's guilt of having caused the World War. I know that Germany, if we had emerged victorious from the war, would have imposed quite different terms – terms that would have be just. After years of the heaviest trial will come liberation from the burden imposed unjustly upon a strong, honest nation. Then everyone of us will be glad and proud again to be German. From the memoirs of Emperor William II, published in 1922. SOURCE G The German Republic was born out of a terrible defeat. This cast a dark shadow over the new political order. Everyone had expected a peace settlement in accordance with Wilson's Fourteen Points, which all the countries involved in the war had accepted as the basis for peace. The criminal madness of the Versailles Diktat was a shameless blow to the new Republic. Its constitution was born with a curse upon it. That it did not immediately collapse is striking proof of the genuine vitality of its basic principles. Written by Hugo Preuss in 1923. Preuss was a liberal politician and member of the first two governments of the Weimar Republic. He was chiefly responsible for writing the Weimar Constitution. Now answer all the following questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources which you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources.