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The terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Territorial
The following land was taken away from Germany : Alsace-Lorraine (given to France)
The Saar, Danzig and Memel were put under the control of the League of Nations and the people of these regions would be allowed to vote to stay in Germany or not in a future referendum. The League of Nations also took control of Germany's overseas colonies.
Germany had to return to Russia land taken in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Some of this land was made into new states : Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. An enlarged Poland also received some of this land.
Military
Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men; the army was not allowed tanks
She was not allowed an airforce She was allowed only 6 capital naval ships and no submarines The west of the Rhineland and 50 kms east of the River Rhine was made into a demilitarised zone (DMZ). No German soldier or weapon was allowed into this zone. The Allies were to keep an army of occupation on the west bank of the Rhine for 15 years.
Financial
The loss of vital industrial territory would be a severe blow to any attempts by Germany to rebuild her economy. Coal from the Saar and Upper Silesia in particular was a vital economic loss. Combined with the financial penalties linked to reparations, it seemed clear to Germany that the Allies wanted nothing else but to bankrupt her.Germany was also forbidden to unite with Austria to form one superstate, in an attempt to keep her economic potential to a minimum.
General
There are three vital clauses here:
1. Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war. This was Clause 231 - the infamous "War Guilt Clause".
2. Germany, as she was responsible for starting the war as stated in clause 231, was, therefore responsible for all the war damage caused by the First World War. Therefore, she had to pay reparations, the bulk of which would go to France and Belgium to pay for the damage done to the infrastructure of both countries by the war. Quite literally, reparations would be used to pay for the damage to be repaired. Payment could be in kind or cash. The figure was not set at Versailles - it was to be determined later. The Germans were told to write a blank cheque which the Allies would cash when it suited them. The figure was eventually put at £6,600 million - a huge sum of money well beyond Germany’s ability to pay.
3. A League of Nations was set up to keep world peace.
The main points of the Treaty [BRAT]
1. Germany had to accept the Blame for starting the war (Clause 231).
2. Germany had to pay £6,600 million (called Reparations) for the damage done during the war.
3. Germany was forbidden to have submarines or an air force. She could have a navy of only six battleships, and an Army of just 100,000 men. In addition, Germany was not allowed to place any troops in the Rhineland, the strip of land, 50 miles wide, next to France.
4. Germany lost Territory (land) in Europe (see map, below). Germany’s colonies were given to Britain and France.
(Also, Germany was forbidden to join the League of Nations, or unite with Austria.)
The Treaty of Versailles includes 440 articles. The principal items are: · Germany has to cede Alsace-Lorraine to France.
· Germany has to cede the coal mines in the Saar-area to France.
· Germany has to cede an area with Moresnet, Eupen, Malmédy and St. Vith to Belgium.
· Germany has to cede the main part of West-Prussia and almost the whole province of Posen to the new state of Poland. · Germany has to cede all colonies: Togo en Cameroun, the territories in East- and South-West Africa, islands in the Pacific and possesions in China.
· All German properties in foreign countries are confiscated.
· Germany has to cede al war material to the allies.
· German compulsory military service is abolished, as well as the General Staff.
· Germany is not allowed to have tanks, airplanes, submarines, large warships and poison gas.
· During 15 years Germany is not allowed to station troops on the left border of the river Rhine and in a 50 km strip on the right border of the Rhine.
· The total size of the Germany army is not to exceed 100.000 men.
· The German navy has a maximum of 15.000 men.
· Germany is allowed a total of 4.000 officers.
· Germany is not to take part in the League of Nations.
· Austria has to cede South-Tirol to Italy.
· Turkye has to cede all foreign possesions. England gets Iraq, Palestine and Trans-Jordan, France gets Syria and Libanon.
· Germany has to cede to the allies all seagoing ships with a carrying capacity exceeding 1600 Brt, plus half of all ships between 1000 and 1600 Brt. Furthermore one fourth of the fishing fleet and two fifths of the inland navigation fleet has to be ceded.
· Germany has to cede large amounts of machinery and building materials, trains and trucks.
· Germany has to deliver certain amounts of coal, chemicals, dye and fuel for many years.
· All German subocean telegraph cables are confiscated.
· Germany has to pay 20 billion goldmarks.