Germans React Angrily to the Treaty

1. Germans were not aware of the situation in 1919.

In 1919, many Germans did not understand how bad Germany’s military situation had been at the end of the war. They believed that the German government had simply agreed to a ceasefire and therefore should have been at the Paris Peace Conference to negotiate peace. They were angry that their government was not represented at the talks and that they were being forced to accept a harsh treaty without any choice or even a comment.

2. War Guilt & Reparations

Germans hated the ‘war guilt’ clause, feeling that at the very least the blame should be shared. Because Germany was forced to accept blame for the war, it was also expected to pay for all the damages. Germans feared that the reparation payments would cripple them. The German economy was already in tatters, and people had very little food.

3. Disarmament

The disarmament terms greatly upset Germany. An army of 100,000 was very small for a country of Germany’s size, and the army was a symbol of German pride. Additionally, they were angered over the fact that none of the Allies disarmed to the extent that Germany was disarmed in the 1920s.

4. German Territories

The loss of a lot of territory was a major blow to German pride as well as its economy. Both the Saar Valley and Upper Silesia were important industrial areas which Germany lost. Furthermore, as Germany was losing land, the British and French were increasing their empires by taking control of German and Turkish territories in Africa and the Middle East.

5. Fourteen Points and League

Most Germans were furious that that the treatment of Germany was not in keeping with Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points. German-speaking peoples were divided by the terms forbidding Anschluss with Austria or hived off into new countries such as Czechoslovakia to be ruled by non-Germans. Germans also felt insulted when they were not invited to join the League of Nations.

6. Double Standards?

Although Germans complained about the treaty, many people did not listen because they felt that the Germans themselves were operating a double standard. Germany’s call for fairer treatment did not square with the harsh way they had treated Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918. Versailles was not nearly as harsh as this treaty.