1. Treaty of Versailles and the Worldwide Depression
9/14/2019 1:36 AM
Treaty of Versailles and the Worldwide Depression
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2. BUT WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? PUNISH? REVENGE! REBUILD? TAKE OVER?
In November 1918 Germany surrenders to the Allied countries. The most powerful ones, being France, USA and Britain, wanted to create a treaty that clearly explained what Germany would now have to do.
BUT WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
PUNISH?
REVENGE!
REBUILD?
TAKE OVER?

3. WHEN: January 1919
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)
After World War I, leaders from countries involved in the war met here to write a treaty (peace talks)
Treaty outlined the terms of the winners and what they expected of the losing country W H Y

5. WHAT COUNTRIES WERE INVOLVED...
Many Historians believe that disagreements happened because the war affected the countries in many different ways.
WHAT COUNTRIES WERE INVOLVED...

6. The British Prime Minister thought that if the Treaty was too harsh, then Germany might one day start another war.
Some British people blamed Germany for the war and wanted revenge
BRITAIN
750,000 men died
Spent nearly $8 billion of which $1 billion was borrowed from the USA
I don’t want to cripple Germany in the Treaty. I think that this could start another war in the future, but people in Britain want Germany to pay.

7. USA They joined in 1917 and lost 113,000 men.
USA wanted a ‘softer’ treaty because they thought Germany was important for the future...
USA’s homeland was never attacked
Woodrow Wilson: I don’t agree with France. Its probably because we didn’t suffer nearly as much as the French. However, I want to focus upon setting up the League of Nations.
US did not join the League of Nations for fear of being drawn into more wars. This also means the US did not sign the Treaty of Versailles.

8. FRANCE Most of the fighting took place in Northern France.
Germany stole 90% of France’s coal and iron in 1914
FRANCE
Many roads and factories had been destroyed
1,250,000 men died
I want to make sure that Germany pays for the problems it has caused us. We suffered the most in WW1 and we demand revenge and reparations
Clemencau

9. “SIGN THE TREATY OR WE WILL INVADE YOU……ITS YOUR CHOICE!”
FRANCE
USA
BRITAIN
The treaty was dictated to Germany-- they did not have a say in it.

10. WHAT DID THE TREATY ACCOMPLISH?
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
This organization of nations would cooperate to keep peace.
PAY COMPENSATION
This was know as reparations. Germany had to pay $33 billion dollars.
GERMANY’S EMPIRE
All of Germany’s colonies were taken away and given away to the Allied countries.
Treaty of Versailles
MASSIVE ARMY CUTS
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.
GERMAN LAND GIVEN AWAY
Germany lost land to France, Poland, Belgium, and Denmark. An area of Germany was even separated from the mainland.

11. 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.

12. 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.”

13. Humiliation Embarrassment Bitterness Revenge
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:
Humiliation
Embarrassment
Bitterness
Revenge

14. RESULT: German money become worthless
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...
RESULT: German money become worthless
German money was only good for starting fires…

15. HOW DID THE U.S. HELP GERMANY?
The Dawes Plan
Reduced the amount Germany owed
Set payments Germany could handle
Loaned Germany $200 million

16. Worldwide Depression Germany wasn’t the only country who suffered
In the 1930s, countries around the world fell into a worldwide economic depression
WHY?...

17. USA's Economic Depression
1929—USA 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 couldn’t repay their loans to the bank, so they lost everything (homes, farms, etc.)

18. Worldwide Economic Depression
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 almost stopped…