Negative Effects Of The Treaty Of Versailles

The treaty of Versailles, which ended the war with Germany in 1918, resulted in great shock for Germans. Not only did Germany lose the war, but were also forced to deal with the harsh terms the treaty imposed on them. Nonetheless, many argue that the treaty led Germany to recover its dominance in central Europe. However, Germans did not see it that way. Most Germans, in fact, despised it. One of the most controversial terms of the treaty was the “war guilt clause” since it imposed Germany to take absolute responsibility for causing the war. Furthermore, Germany was forced to pay reparations for the damages caused during the war, otherwise they would be invaded by the Allies. The treaty itself makes Germany’s reaction understandable as it negatively impacted its political, economic, and military power. …show more content…
Many Germans believed that the treaty of Versailles imposed several harsh terms on them. One of those terms is Article 231, which required Germany to take absolute responsibility for the damages caused during the war. This caused most Germans to think of the treaty as humiliating since their army was limited to 100,000 men, they lost all overseas colonies and lost 10% of its population. Many Germans blamed the Weimar Republic since they believed signing the treaty resulted in many of the economic, military and political problems the country was facing. According to Richard J. Evans, in his book The Coming of the Third Reich, he states that the army and civil service of the Weimar Republic had a hard time adjusting to “the transition from the authoritarian Reich to the democratic Republic