Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany After World War I - Paper Example

IntroductionSince the beginning of time, war has been a part of man. It has been one of the ways to settle disputes and be even with the parties involved. One such incident was the First World War. It was a global war which begun in Europe and lasted nearly four years. It is among one of the worst battles in history which involved seventy million men and almost sixty million European soldiers that resulted in very many casualties and significant revolutions and political changes in the countries concerned. Germany was a significant participant in that war and is blamed for its ignition. Several treaties were signed to bring the war to an end. Among them the Treaty of Saint-German-en-Laye, Treaty of Trianon, United States-Germany Treaty among others.

One significant Treaty was the Treaty of Versailles of June 1919, that resulted in an end to the fight between Germany and its allied powers. Furthermore, an armistice was signed on 11th November 1918 in the city of Versailles, to help stop the fighting immediately between Germany and allied forces. However, authorities allied to Germany took more than five months to negotiate their peace treaty at Paris Peace Treaty, and that concluded the peace treaty.

Expectations of Germany after World War I as set by Treaty of Versailles.

The primary purpose of the treaty was to bring an end to the World War. Some parties that participated, however, requested that Germany should not only take responsibility for the damage caused by the war and its allied powers. They were expected to disarm and compensate certain countries. The compensation was huge amounting up to thirty billion US dollars then, a move that sparked different reactions from economists among them John Maynard Keynes (1919) who stated that the demand was too harsh and uneconomical though his views have been under constant debate.

A French Marshal, Ferdinand Froch, on the other hand, cited that the treaty was too lenient on Germany. He wanted the German nation to be weakened entirely so that they would not pose a threat to France anymore. In response, Germany resisted the treaty to the point that a president resigned rather than sign it. Philipp Scheidemann termed the agreement a murderous plan as against Germany, during his resignation. The National assembly then approved the treaty after analyzing the risks in case other hostilities emerged. In Germany, the division was witnessed between the supporters of the agreement and people loyal to their country. This was followed by several protests after its signing.

Conclusion.

Any war is a major catastrophe to humankind. In the event of any conflict, there should be necessary steps to ensure it is brought to an end in any way. Peace accords are a great way to end any war. However, all parties should be involved in the talks and all negotiations equally. Terms from the discussions should be agreed upon but not enforced. After the negotiations, the signed treaties should be respected by all parties.