CAMBRIDGE IGCSE HISTORY: THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE. It contains: German expectations, figures on losses, the realities, the humiliation, stab in the back theory, November Criminals theory.

1. 14. TREATY OF VERSAILLES
THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE

3.  A fair treaty…(given that Wilson had many
ideas e.g. 14 Points)
 Newly elected democratic government in place
 Kaiser had abdicated
 Germans felt they weren’t solely to blame for
the war
 Expected to play a part in the peace making
process

4.  Germany’s losses after the Treaty was imposed:
- Territory 13%
- Population 12 % (6.5 million)
- Agricultural production 15%
- Iron-ore 48%
- Coal 15%

5.  Germany was not invited to play a part in the
Versailles Treaty (Russia also)
 Therefore, the final settlement was only made
by the victorious powers who looked after their
own interests
 The peace settlement was seen as a ‘Diktat’
(dictated peace) – no negotiation from
Germany – had to accept the terms

6.  Wilson’s idea of self-determination was seen as
not applicable to Germany.
 Germany lost large amounts of land that had
German people living there e.g. Austria,
Danzig, Sudetenland and the Saar
 Similarly the loss of the colonies went against
the idea of self-determination as the German
colonies were handed over to the Allies.

7.  War Guilt (Article 231) was imposed solely on
Germany. Germans felt that they reacted
defensively as they would have been encircled
by the Triple Entente Powers (esp. Russia and
France). Germans felt deeply bitter and
resentful as a result
 Imposition of disarmament was seen as grossly
unfair. Wilson had initially spoken of
‘universal disarmament’ in his ‘14 Points’
 France and Great Britain still heavily armed

8.  Extensive reparation payments seen as unfair
 Germany forced to sign a ‘blank cheque’ at
Versailles
 The actual amount of reparations was decided
in 1921 by the Inter-Allied Reparations
Commission
 The 6.6 billion pounds amount was seen as too
much and Germans felt that this would cripple
her already struggling post-WWI economy

9.  Germany’s treatment by the Allies was seen
as unworthy of a great power.
 Examples:
- Not invited for discussions at Versailles
- Forced to sign the final settlements
- Not invited to join the League of Nations
- Had to sign the Covenant of the League of
Nations anyway

10.  The War Guilt clause and Diktat were the
main sources of humiliation and bitterness for
the Germans
 The Allies also threatened to restart the war if
the Germans did not sign the Treaty
 A military blockade increased the food
shortage in Germany and this had severe
consequences e.g. many deaths due to hunger
and disease

11.  Many Germans were led to believe that
Germany did not lose the war
 Germany was a proud militaristic nation and
had strong faith in their army
 Generals like Ludendorff encouraged the idea
that the army would have fought on if the
politicians had backed them
 A myth developed that the weak politicians
had ‘stabbed the patriotic soldiers in the back’
(empty sacrifice) by surrendering to the Allies

12.  This gave extreme groups e.g. the right wing
parties (e.g. NSDAP) an excuse to blame the
new government
 Minority and ‘dangerous’ groups like the
socialists, communists and Jews were blamed
also for trying to take advantage of the
situation after the surrender
 The politicians who surrendered to the Allies
became known as the ‘November Criminals’