The reparations (which they did try to pay) exacerbated the economic problems. The forced implementation of democracy destabilized Germany, as they had never been without a monarch before, and also resulted in a weak central government incapable of fixing the country’s problems. The loss of Alsace and Lorraine (which they had previously won from the French in the Franco-Prussian war) and the demilitarization of the Rhineland were a major hit to German honor. Additionally, the military reductions (even if they weren’t always followed) were demeaning.
The French even made the Germans sign the treaty at Versailles, the place where the Germans had crowned Wilhelm after the Franco-Prussian war.
The thing is everything that was in the treaty that they even blinked at would of happened after the war anyways. Germany did not need this treaty to ruin their economy, the war did that perfectly fine. France and England always suffered after war . Its why they were so hesitant to stop Hitler because how bad the effects of ww1 were for them even though they won.
as far as forcing a democracy goes, their would of been a civil war without or it. The people has lost such faith in their government and were now incredibly poor. The kasier wouldent have stayed in power.
When people say what started the second world war? The treaty of versailles is not one of the first reasons i would say. Since its effects were so minor in the grand scheme and everything it implemented would of naturally occurred without a treaty. Debts, instability and poverty were unavoidable. By time the actual war came around the treaty had nothing to do with it.
the treaty did not make germany invade russia or japan bomb peral habour which is what really made it a world war
The Treaty wasn’t the sole cause of their economic problems, or even the most major one, but it most certainly exacerbated the economic problems.
Perhaps, but that civil war could have instituted a strong government under a new monarch, rather than the incredibly weak Wiemar Republic. At this point we get into speculation. The fact remains, the government inagurated by the Treaty was weak.
I find it funny the germans rejected wiemar republic in favor of the weaker nazi regime, though many germans did not support hitler especially the army. The ones that had been in the army before hitler came to power most notably. They hated hitler because he ruined the prestige of the german army.
I talked to a former german solider before from the Reichswehr and he talked about how most soliders he knew had disliked hitler. The ones did like him were the youngest of the army
It depends on your definition of weak. Though the regime was brutal and horrible and was a failure militarily, it had a strong central authority, was able to improve the economy, and was able to participate in international politics to a greater extent than the Weimar Republic.
the german attitude towards the treaty of versailles was generally negative. hitler capitalized on that and used it to build up the nazi party as well as create discontent against the reigning liberal government.
as an extra note, the hossbach memorandum indicates that hitler was intent on initiating the holocaust and local war, and that there were links to the economic disparities that were created by the treaty of versailles.
Hitler who would of kept expanding his territory and brutality is what made it weak because the german people did not want that. People attempted to kill hitler before ww2 so it was showing many signs of weakness before any war.
Generals and party officials plotting against him because they disagreed with how he was running the country
the weimar republic is a more plausible idea post ww1 then a brutal regime
