Essay On The Treaty Of Versailles

World War I left Germany in economic despair and social unrest due to the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty held Germany liable for payment in restitution for the damages caused by the first World War. This payment and blame placed on Germany led to a decrease in the worth of money as well as frustration socially and politically. Most of the people of Germany did not feel they should be held responsible for the war. Furthermore, the economic struggles led to even greater animosity towards Germany’s position as the scapegoat following World War I, thereby causing political instability. These social, political, and economic troubles plagued Germany and led to World War II. The Treaty of Versailles, which resulted from World War I, contributed to the beginnings of World War II. The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty created by the League of Nations, a group of nations that banded together following the First World War, without German input. It decreed that Germany would be forced to pay reparations for damages caused in the war, as well as take credit
According to Article 235 of the Treaty, Germany would have to pay “the equivalent of 20,000,000,000 gold marks”, and unfathomable price for any country to pay at the time (Treaty of Versailles). “Leading experts of the time protested that Germany’s paying out such a huge amount could damage the economy” (source 9). Sure enough, the Treaty of Versailles terms plummeted Germany into economic despair. The worth of the German mark dropped to the point where “life in Germany was virtually impossible” (Source 2). Germany was experiencing hyperinflation that made citizen life incredibly challenging. People had to bring piles of money to buy one thing, and food was more valuable than money was (Source 2). The German people were enraged by their situation, leading to social and political