The Treaty of Versailles
& Interwar Germany
How did WWI, the Treaty of
Versailles, and the Great
Depression affect the German
people?
The Treaty of Versailles
The Five Key Clauses:





The War Guilt Clause (Article 231)
The Reparations Clause (Article 232)
The Mandates Clause (Article 22)
The Covenant Clause (Article 10)
The Disarmament Clause (Article 160)
The treaty effectively stripped Germany of all
power and crippled the economy
The Covenant Clause
Clause:

Article 10 of the Treaty of Versailles dealt with the
establishment of a “covenant of nations” called the
League of Nations
Effects:

While the League’s goals for world peace were
lofty, it suffered from an inability to hold any
members to its decisions and it lacked two key
members: the United States and Russia (except
between 1934-1939 as the U.S.S.R.)
The failure of the U.S. to enter the League
of Nations contributed to its weakness.
The Mandates Clause
Clause:

Article 22 of the Treaty of Versailles took away
much of Germany’s land and gave control of the
German and the Austro-Hungarian colonies to the
League of Nations
Effects:

The loss of land hurt the national pride of
Germans and contributed to the crippling of the
German economy (the ceded regions were rich in
natural resources).
German land ceded to form new nations
and to form a buffer zone for France
The War Guilt Clause
Clause:

Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles forced
Germany to admit responsibility for the war
Effects:

As Germans continued to suffer due to the effects
of the harsh terms of the treaty, increasing
numbers of militants and leaders used the war
guilt clause and the Treaty of Versailles as a
scapegoat for the economic depression that
devastated Germany after WWI
The War Guilt Clause
The Allied and Associated Governments
affirm and Germany accepts the
responsibility of Germany and her allies
for causing all the loss and damage to
which the Allied and Associated
Governments and their nationals have
been subjected as a consequence of
the war imposed upon them by the
aggression of Germany and her allies.
The Reparations Clause
Clause:

Article 232 of the Treaty of Versailles required
Germany to pay the Allied Nations sums equal to
the damage done to the civilian population and
their property during the war
Effects:

Already crippled by war, so much money is
funneled out of Germany as a result of war debts
that the German economy descends into a deep
depression.
The German mark was so worthless that
kids used stacks of it as building blocks
The Disarmament
Clause
Clause:


Article 160 of the Treaty of Versailles limited the
German military:
Later articles also limited the munitions,
armaments, and manufacturing capabilities of the
German military
Effects:

Germany’s pride was bruised, but more
importantly because one of the cornerstones of
German industry was military armaments and
weapons factories, the restrictions on production
further weakened the German economy.
The Disarmament
Clause
…the German Army
must not comprise
more than seven
divisions of infantry
and three divisions
of
cavalry.
The German Response
Germany was forced to sign under threat of
renewing war
Punishment sowed seeds of bitterness
Further divided Europe
The discontent of the people and economic
depression are used by Hitler and the Nazis
to gain power
The Inflation Auction
The dice dictate how much money you get
per round
There will be 3 rounds, roll before each
You may keep your money between rounds
(but must give it back at the end of the
auction…please do not write on or otherwise
destroy the money)
The items to be auctioned will be announced
and bid upon as quickly as possible
German Hyperinflation
Between 1919 and 1923 Germany
experienced hyperinflation—a devaluation of
money by more than 50% a month
As inflation spiraled out of control the German
people increasingly looked to strong leaders
and political parties that offered solutions to
Germany’s problems
The Great Depression
Overproduction, increasing international
protectionism, overextensions of consumer
credit, and poor regulation of the money supply
lead to a drastic drop in economic consumption
and production
As the economy faltered, people lost faith in
banks, unemployment soared, and governments
increasingly isolated themselves
German unemployment reached over 25%
nationwide, with much higher percentages in
most major cities
The Weimar Republic
At the end of WWI the German government
collapsed. Kaiser Wilhelm II gave up the throne
and the Weimar Republic was established
The Weimar Republic lasted 14 years. In 1932
the Nazis gained control of the Reichstag, soon
after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of the
republic—he was never elected to lead
Germany
The rise of the Nazis signaled the end of the
Weimar Republic
Sources
Google Images
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/
http://www.firstworldwar.com