The Treaty of Versailles

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What is the treaty of Versailles

The treaty of Versailles was a treaty written by *** in 1919. This was to create peace in Europe. There were a number of things that happened because of it.

North Schleswig goes to Denmark

Eupen and Mamedy go to Belgium

Alsance Lorraine goes to France

Poland was give a corridor to the Baltic sea, cutting Germany in half

New Zealand was given Samoa, one of Germany's colonies, which they were forced to give up

Memel goes to Lithuania

Germany was forbidden from uniting with Austria

Saar coalfields given to France for fifteen years so they could improve their economy

Posen (rich farmland) was given to Poland

Selsia was given to Poland

Danzig became a free city run by the League of Nations

The new German government, called the Weimar republic, met in Weimar

Rhineland, strip of land between France and Germany, became demiltatarized.

Germany was forced to disarm and have no air force or significant army or navy.

There was also a war guilt clause that said that Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war, even though this wasn't necessarily true.

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German Reactions

The Germans thought this was unfair (diktat). The newspapers called it a Gweltfrieden, which is a peace that is violently imposed. It was a 237 to 138 vote to accept the treaty, and they left it until 4 hour before the deadline. This caused the chancellor, Scheidmann, to resign because he was unhappy with it.

Hitler called the politicians who accepted the treaty the 'November criminals'. He believed they had stabbed the army in the back, which is a phrase he used many times during his campaign.

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French Reactions

The french thought it was "to mild for its severity."