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The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

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The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles
The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany had to sign a war guilt clause stating that they had started the First World War. This made Germany look weak as they gave in easily. The German public didn’t support the government from the start and found that their surrender was a stab in the back. However as the Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28th June 1919 accepting full responsibility the citizens of Germany felt that the government stabbed the army in the back even more. They did not bear the sole and total responsibility that was laid on them by the Versailles treaty but they had been actively planning on a war with France for some years for the purpose of gaining territory so they certainly bear the largest part of the responsibility. However, the war first started as a conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Germany did try to prevent it from becoming a more general war by warning France and Russia not to aid Serbia. It is not possible for one country to have been responsible for the war, everyone who part took in the war is responsible as everyone caused damage. No country fights a war against themselves it takes more than one.
They also had to accept complete responsibility for all the death and damage the war had caused. This made Germany looked like they did everything. It almost seemed that they were the only one doing the killing and causing damage. Germany and the other countries all had explosives were fully armed with a full army, navy and air force. They were all as responsible as each other. If Germany had defeated most people they would be winning the war so doesn’t that mean that the victorious countries killed the most for Germany to have surrendered ? It was not fair for Germany to be held totally responsible as everyone had a part in the damage done but blame was put onto Germany because they appeared to be weak due to their surrender.
Germany would have to pay for the damage to be undone. They were given a bill for £6600

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