Unit 2 Notes

Discuss the question with your group:

What was
World War I?

The Treaty of Versailles

In November 1918 Germany surrenders to the Allied

countries. The most powerful ones, being France, USA and
Britain, wanted to create a treaty that punished Germany for
starting WWI.

BUT WHAT SHOULD

THEY DO?

Treaty of Versailles
Allied countries could not agree on
what the treaty should include, but...
They could agree on where it should
take place: A French palace in a city
called Versailles (near Paris, France)
In 1919, leaders from countries involved
in the war met here to write a treaty
Treaty outlined the terms of the winners
and what they expected of the losing
country

FRANCE
USA
BRITAIN

SIGN THE
TREATY OR WE
WILL INVADE
YOUITS YOUR
CHOICE!

The treaty was dictated to

Germany-- they did not have
a say in it.

WAR GUILT
Germany had to accept
the blame for starting
the war

Blame

Disarm Germanys
Military
The Army was cut to just
100,000 men, the Navy
could only have 6
battleships, and they were
not allowed to build any
new planes, tanks, or
submarines.

BRAT
What did
the Treaty
of Versailles
do?

PAY REPARATIONS
Germany had to pay $33
billion dollars.

Repay

GERMAN LAND
GIVEN AWAY
Germany had to give
up its colonies and a
bunch of land

Territory

Land taken away from Germany under the treaty of Versailles

Not only did Germany lose about 10% of its land, it also
consequently lost 10% of its population. German people were
now living in foreign countries.

Excerpt from a German newspaper on the

day the treaty was signed...

Today in the Hall of

Mirrors of Versailles the
disgraceful Treaty is being
signed.
Do not forget it. The
German people will press
forward to reconquer the
place among nations to
which we deserve. Then
will come revenge for the
shame of 1919.

Germany was a proud country due to its

military strength and strong traditions of
dominance within that area of Europe.
However, the treaty of Versailles created
different feelings:

The war had left

Germany almost
bankrupt. As its
people starved
and the country
lay in chaos, the
Allies gave them
a bill (Treaty of
Versailles) that
they simply could
not afford to
pay...
German money was
only good for
starting fires

The Treaty of
Versailles caused
Germany to go
through a
depression
a time when
businesses
and people
lost a lot of
money

People who could not find jobs joined

the Communist and National Socialist
parties.
The National Socialist Partys
leader, Adolf Hitler, was gaining
more and more power

They were also

mad because the
treaty said that
Germany alone
caused WWI.
Many Germans
wanted revenge

As more and more

Germans became poor
and angry, more and
more began joining the
National Socialist Party.
Before long, the party
is very large and its
leader, Adolph Hitler
becomes very
powerful.
They also change the
name of the party to
the Nazi Party

Germany wasnt the only country who

suffered
In the 1930s, countries around the world
fell into a worldwide economic depression

WHY?...

1929USA experienced
a stock market crash
Value of stocks began to
drop so stockholders
began to sell their stocks
as fast as they could

Businesses could no
longer sell their goods
because people had less
money to spend, so
many had to close &
workers lost their jobs
People couldnt repay
their loans to the bank,
so they lost everything
(homes, farms, etc.)

Businesses around the world traded

with the US:
When the US stopped buying goods, it
hurt businesses in other countries
When US banks closed, banks in other
countries were hurt too
Stockholders in other countries could no
longer sell their stocks to American
companies

As businesses and factories around

the world closed one by one, buying
and selling around almost stopped

Write paragraph explaining why you

think the Treaty of Versailles led another
war.
What is the Treaty of Versailles
Why was the treaty written?
What did the treaty do?
How did Germany feel about the
treaty?

The Big Picture

Answer The following questions in

complete sentences.
1. Why do you think the allied
countries were intent on punishing
Germany above all else?
2. Do you think that the Treaty of
Versailles is to blame for the rise of
Nazism in Germany?
Explain your answer.
9. What aspect of the Treaty of
Versailles might be considered the
most fair; which might be considered