The Impact of Versailles Treaty on World War One

Analysis of the Age of Anxiety

The study of Age of Anxiety in this context needs a clear evaluation of various aspects that are key in defining the whole context of age of anxiety and they include the following: a collective Society, Mass policy makers in Politics, and the Expansion and extension of supremacy and State Power, and through a clear evaluation of these components we are able to study the age of anxiety.in order to get a clear understanding of this essay we will look at the treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Overview of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919

The treaty was a key guide towards peace treaties that would take a role in ensuring the war was over, thus this pact settled tension build by the war flanked by Germany with other powers referred to allied.

Development and Objectives of the Treaty

Development of this pact aimed at punishing and cripple Germany to achieve the objectives of several allies. The pact created the league of nations aimed at maintaining peace which would ultimately include world nations. Negotiations in the treaty outlined that a split amid French who never wanted Germany to renew their war with them, the British and the Americans in the sense that they never wanted to create a ploy for a new war. Therefore, the subsequent treaty pertained 15 quarters containing four hundred and forty articles. The first chunk stipulated that the formation of fresh union and emergence of nations, and in this union, Germany would not be merged before 1926 as these was the year that they would be permitted seam, the second unit specified the new boundaries of Germany giving France Alsace -Lorraine, Belgium being given Eupen –Malmendy, Poland receiving eastern district and a portion of Schleswig to Denmark. The third part required a Saar being separated and demilitarizing the region from Germany in a period of 15 years.

Conditions and Liabilities of Germany

The fourth part stripped the colonies of Germany while the fifth part reduced the number of German militaries to a lower number and prohibiting Germany from producing various weapons and conducting disarmament.

On the sixth part Germans liabilities were established for compensation without setting actual figures, with which it began with article 231 which Germany took charge and accepted the obligation of itself and of its associates or rather its allies for the destructions, damages and losses as the consequence of warfare. Lastly, Germany was obligatory to numerous financial responsibilities.

Evaluation of the Treaty’s Fairness

When the Versailles treaty is mentioned, it tends to bring out the whole picture of the world war one in relation to Germany and the after math of it. Therefore, in this essay we will access the aftermath on whether it was fair or unfair basing our arguments on the various pillar that are crucial in guiding us on whether the terms of the treaty were fair.

Unfair Conditions Imposed on Germany

The treaty was partially unfair to Germany as it brought about nationalism and acquired Germany treasured assets, but also, it’s argued out that Germany deserved punishment for the destructions and damages they caused during the war hence through these it could prevent them from stirring up another war.

The treaty reduced the number of Germany armies, therefore these to Germany was like making them defenceless and making them weak. The army was reduced to the required number that could maintain order within Germany and not that number which could protect them from attacking power. This reduction to Germany was unfair since the large army was a symbol of pride, therefore they were stripped off their status of being powerful and they were venerable to other external powers. It was also unfair as Germany was threaten that if they could not sign the ’blank cheque’ Britain could not boost their blockade. Considering the economic crisis Germany was in these seemed to be punitive to them.

The crisis in their economy included deficits they had acquired during the importation of raw materials and large borrowings from America causing inflation. Therefore, looking at these terms they seem to be unfair to Germany.

Consequences of the Treaty

The treaty also had various consequences which included the following: Germany was not able to export or import its commodities causing a severe infliction in trade since they took a partial role in this trade.

Germany was to pay an enormous sum of compensation which according to the figure outlined Germany could not manage to pay. With all crisis surrounding Germans economy they could not keep paying, the compensation as the amount set was to high and more than Germany could afford as they were crippled, making Belgium and France to invade their coalmines and factories in order to compensate themselves as Germany could no longer afford.

Goods were very hard to be obtained since the economy was ruined, therefore the scarce commodities were to expensive. The government tried to solve the problem by printing more money but these caused hyperinflation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Versailles correlation, a cooperation amid Wilsonian principles and Allied vengeance, frustrated the expectations of both winners and those who lost, whereas cultural fluctuations and new philosophies increased global and universal anxieties. Through this treaty we get to explore and get to know the ideas that we key in ensuring that world war one was brought to an end and there was a global revolution.

Bibliography

Edward Judge, John W. Langdon. 2015. Connection:a world history. London: Pearson Education.

John Coatsworth, Juan Cole, Michael P. Hanagan, Peter C. Perdue, Charles Tilly, Louise Tilly. 2015. Global Connections. England: Cambridge University Press.