World War I had left the whole of Europe in turmoil by 1918; the Big three consequently met in Paris in 1919 to draw up a treaty regarding the treatment of Germany. They were ready to punish the defeated nation. In France, millions were dead and even more were injured; the economy had collapsed and civilians were starving to death. In the end, the Paris Peace Conference and other treaties that followed left many doubts and approvals at the same time as to whether they were fair. Some viewed the Treaty of Versailles as too harsh since Germany was already in a difficult situation and after all, it wasn’t Germany alone that had started the war. However, others thought that Germany was operating on a double standard, and the victors had actually
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Clemenceau had enough of seeing damage being done to the land, industry, people, and the pride of France. At the end of the war many viewed Germany as a threat to national security; thus, they wanted Germany to be given a huge burden that they could not overcome easily. Clemenceau was a realist and was aware that not all of what he had wished for was going to be passed; nevertheless, he still viewed the treaty as ‘disappointing.’ The French President had even wanted Germany broken up into tiny states. Meanwhile, Lloyd George also wanted to punish Germany (as a mild treaty would not have been acceptable to the public), but not too harshly. He had wanted Germany to lose its navy and its colonies - the powerful navy threatened the British Empire. Regarding the victors’ point of view, it should be noted once more that if the treaty had requested exactly what France and Britain had wanted out of it in the first place Germany would have not recovered.
Another factor to consider is whether or not the treaty was seen as justified at the time. The way Germany had treated Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 was very severe and the Treaty of Versailles was more justified and fair. This caused many to consider Germany as operating on double standards and consequently, much less felt sympathy. Germany’s call for a fairer treatment therefore did not work. In addition, many thought that Germany’s
Clemenceau had enough of seeing damage being done to the land, industry, people, and the pride of France. At the end of the war many viewed Germany as a threat to national security; thus, they wanted Germany to be given a huge burden that they could not overcome easily. Clemenceau was a realist and was aware that not all of what he had wished for was going to be passed; nevertheless, he still viewed the treaty as ‘disappointing.’ The French President had even wanted Germany broken up into tiny states. Meanwhile, Lloyd George also wanted to punish Germany (as a mild treaty would not have been acceptable to the public), but not too harshly. He had wanted Germany to lose its navy and its colonies - the powerful navy threatened the British Empire. Regarding the victors’ point of view, it should be noted once more that if the treaty had requested exactly what France and Britain had wanted out of it in the first place Germany would have not recovered.
Another factor to consider is whether or not the treaty was seen as justified at the time. The way Germany had treated Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 was very severe and the Treaty of Versailles was more justified and fair. This caused many to consider Germany as operating on double standards and consequently, much less felt sympathy. Germany’s call for a fairer treatment therefore did not work. In addition, many thought that Germany’s