WWI and Peace

WWI ended at 11:00 on November 11 th, 1918 The time between the armistice (11,11,1918) until the signing of the Treaty (6,28,1919) a quarter million Germans died from disease and starvation because of the British blockade

The Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany officially accept responsibility for starting the war and pay heavy economic reparations. The total cost of these reparations was assessed at 132 billion Marks which is roughly equivalent to US $442 billion in 2011, a sum that many economists at the time, notably John Maynard Keynes, deemed to be excessive and counterproductive and would have taken Germany until 1988 to pay

Reparations France and the U.S. were determined to collect reparations France intended to use payments to finance postwar recovery Most of the Allied (G.B. & France) money went to the U.S.

Reparations continued Dawes Plan (1924)-U.S. would loan money to Germany, Germany would make payments to the Allies, Allies would then repay U.S. Money was soon withdrawn from Europe and invested in N.Y. stock market Germany finally finished paying its reparations in 2010

Terms of Treaty Germany’s military could be no larger than 100,000 troops Cannot import or export weapons Poison gas, armed aircraft, tanks and armored cars are prohibited. Germany was forced to sign Treaty because they could not withstand any more attacks from the allies