INTRO:
World War 1 ended with the Versailles Treaty in 1919. The peace-making process was extremely complex and even now it is doubtful whether any perfect solution to organising the post-war European order could have been found. After the settlement many international matters still remained unresolved and many countries were dissatisfied. To what extent did the results of WW1 determine the outbreak of another, big war ~20 years later?
MAIN BODY:
1) Germany
felt embittered & humiliated
harsh peace treaty:
lost Alsace-Lorraine, Polish corridor, Gdañsk (free city), colonies
occupation of Rhineland
forced disarmament, army significantly diminished
war indemnities – 6,600 mln pounds
Versailles, where on 29.06.1919 the Treaty was signed, was the place where German Empire was proclamed...
to severe to be accepted!
Germans sought revenage
a strong leader that would increase the the int. position of country & change the treaty terms was welcomed... that’s why Hitler came to power & was to approved of +nasizm
Germany, although weakened, was not totally “destroyed” (treaty too leniant to contrain her) – still an important European partner, one of the potentially strongest ones
2) Italy
did not get what she was promised during the secret Treaty of London in May 1915 (Trentino, tyrol, Trieste, Istria, North Dalmatia & some colonies in Africa...)
felt embittered, as if cheated by the Entente contries...
as in Germany, a strong leader that would increase the the int. position of country & change the treaty terms was welcome... Mussolini:) +fascism
in future would ally with Germany, not allies (&it happened during WW2)
3) General tendency of ruling
Germany & Italy were not exceptions when it comes to the