The War Guilt Clause And Reparations - 2609 Words

The mandate of Article(s) 231 and 232 , (respectively titled â€Å"The War Guilt Clause† and â€Å"Reparations†) of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th, 1919 served as unintentional catalysts for the arise of revisionism in post-war Germany, and its fall out of the international order following the Paris Peace Conference. These two articles politically, socially, and economically ravaged Germany, and created societal circumstances in which a totalitarian dictatorship (the National Socialist German Workers Party or â€Å"Nazi† party) gained popularity and was viewed as necessary in order for Germany to be restored to its former status as an economic and political world power. The national humiliation and economic burden that Articles 231 and 232 created injured German pride, strained its economy and triggered a resentful and hostile outlook to the â€Å"new peace† that the Allied leaders believed they had formulated. The German people viewed this as a â €Å"dictated peace† (Diktat) that had been enforced on them. It was seen by Germany as an unfair, un-justified and un-realistic punishment for losing the war, and instead of creating a long-term and prosperous peace on the European continent, the guilt and reparations of Articles 231 and 232 ignited a flame of vengeance in Germany that would evolve into an ultra-nationalist inferno and consume the world into a second and even more devastating and savage war. Article 231, informally known as â€Å"The War Guilt Clause† was perhaps the mostShow MoreRelatedWas the Treaty of Versailles the Major Cause of World War Two? 1148 Words   |  5 PagesWorld War Two was the most devastating conflict in the history of humanity. It crippled many nations and caused millions of people to die. One of the major causes of this disastrous war was the Treaty of Versailles which ended the First World War. This treaty was destructive towards the Germans. Germany had to pay large amounts of reparations to the Allied nations at the end of World War One resulting in a Great Depression in Germany. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles’ war guilt clause forcedRead MoreWas the Treaty of Versailles the Major Cause of World War Two? 1034 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War Two was the most devastating conflict in the history of mankind. It crimpled many nations and caused millions of people to die. One of the major causes of this disastrous war was the Treaty of Versailles which ended the First World War. This treaty was destructive towards the Germans. Germany had to pay large amounts of reparations to the Allied nations at the end of World War One resulting in a Great Depression in Germany. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles’ war guilt clause forcedRead MoreThe Treaty Of Versailles Was A War Of Slaughter On A New Scale1122 Words   |  5 PagesThe Treaty of Versailles was first and foremost the end to World War 1, the Great War. 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