The Unintended Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles, Along with the Reasons it Wasn’t Prevented

 

Introduction:
 

         World War II began with Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, followed by the rapid
use of Blitzkrieg, or “lightning war,” across Europe. Adolf Hitler managed to use
Blitzkrieg (lightning war) to punch a hole in the Allies' lines, and in short order claimed
Europe for the Third Reich (totalitarian dictatorship in Germany under Hitler’s control).
Built upon racial purification and the elimination of the Jews, the Wehrmacht (defense
force) and Hitler’s destruction commenced. Under his reign, an estimated 20,946,000,
including prisoners of war and civilians, died. Jumping back to WWI, following the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Germany looked to conquer Europe, but
the British and Americans were able to stop them before their ambitions were met.
 

         Looking forward to peace following the Great War, the Treaty of Versailles was signed
by 32 nations, yet the Allies found themselves on the back foot. This retribution caused
severe economic damage, and it seemed like Germany was powerless to wage another
war. Wanting to escape economic chaos, citizens advocated for Adolf Hitler, the leader
of the Nazi Party (far-right, extremist group), who promised the nation power and
dominance, convincing the German public that his assurances could pave the way to
the return of the Great German Reich. The Treaty of Versailles was designed to punish
Germany, and foremostly to prevent future conflict from breaking out, but to the surprise
of the world, it led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the tumultuous WWII.
 

Section 1: The Treaty of Versailles
 

         The Treaty of Versailles was formally created by the Big 3 (France, Britain, and the US)
during the Paris Peace Conference (1919) regarding the punitive measures against
Germany after WWI. Initially, they had clashing proposals on the severity of the
punishment. George Clemenceau (Prime Minister of France) wanted severely high
reparations to incapacitate them. Woodrow Wilson (President of the US) did not
condemn Germany, wanting to facilitate peace by creating the League of Nations. On
the other side of the spectrum, David Lloyd George (Prime Minister of Britain)
advocated for sufficient retribution, but also emphasized the need to preserve
Germany’s economy to maintain a viable trading relationship. To keep Germany
hemmed in, the Treaty of Versailles was ironed out, stipulating:
 

● A payout of 132 billion gold marks,
● An army limited to 100,000 men, without conscription

● The surrender of 13% of its territory
● A toothless navy
● Demilitarized zone in the Rhineland
● Among others, with a far less superior force, which was crippled by sanctions.
 

         As a result, the treaty was a compromise of multifaceted viewpoints that ended up being
harsh enough to inflict on Germany, but not harsh enough to avert its recovery.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed was signed with the ambition to prevent future war
by making it impossible for Germany to wage another war. Redrawing the map by taking
away Germany’s colonies and forcing high reparations made Germany powerless.
Additionally, it was the starting point of the League of Nations formed by President
Woodrow Wilson. Its purpose was to prevent future world wars. It was founded on
January 10th, 1920, with members pledging to protect each other from aggression.
The Allies wished to keep their hands tied, and historians largely agree that the treaty
forced extremism on the German people. John Maynard Keynes warned in 1919 that “If
we aim deliberately at the impoverishment of Central Europe, vengeance, I dare predict,
will not limp.” His predictions came true when the Nazi Party won 37.3% of the vote in
the July 1932 election. They became the largest political party in Germany, enabling
them to seize power.
 

Section 2: Effect
 

Unable to meet their obligations stipulated in the
Treaty of Versailles, the Germans relentlessly
kept the printing presses running. To meet the
reparation payment and fund social spending.
The German government paid large amounts of
German marks. In short order, the value of the
mark plummeted, and a death spiral emerged.
The more the mark fell, the more the German
government was forced to print to make up the
difference from its lackluster value. As shown in
the figure, in March 1923, the exchange rate
stood at 20,000 marks to $1 USD. By October, it
reached 1 million marks, and by November
1923, a single US dollar was worth 4.2 trillion
marks.
 

         To reduce the burden on shoppers, the government reduced the 100 trillion mark bill.
Hyperinflation reared its ugly head when citizens witnessed their personal savings being

wiped out at an alarming rate. The timing was unfortunate, as it corresponded with the
Great Depression. The whole country experienced an upheaval.
These factors made lifelong savings worthless and eradicated the wealth of the German
middle class. To reduce the burden on shoppers, the government reduced the 100
trillion mark bill. Hyperinflation reared its ugly head when citizens witnessed their
personal savings being wiped out at an alarming rate. The timing was unfortunate, as it
corresponded with the Great Depression. The whole country experienced an upheaval.
These factors made lifelong savings worthless and eradicated the wealth of the German
middle class.
 

         The Treaty of Versailles only created a vindictive peace. What used to be one of the
most affluent nations was zeroed out almost immediately. This made the citizens
disoriented, and the desire to bring back their old, dominant country escalated across
Germany. Nationalism became the main ideology, and the citizens wanted a strong
leader who could bring back Germany’s standing. This made extremist ideas
convincing: democracy seemed weak, while an authoritarian government with a
centralized dictatorship seemed promising. Hitler vowed economic recovery and the
restoration of national power, and the citizens indisputably gave credence to his control.
The Treaty of Versailles had wide
ramifications. The invasion of
Poland set off their war machine
with the end goal of establishing a
racially pure Aryan state and
eliminating European Jews. He
aimed to terminate the Treaty of
Versailles and regain Germany as
the dominant force in Europe. As
shown in the table above, before
the start of WWII, Germany’s total
land size stood at 0.63 million
square kilometers, and grew exponentially to an astounding 5-fold increase to 3.3
million square kilometers by late 1942.
 

         Hitler blamed the Jews for damaging the economy and orchestrating a
conspiracy to control the world's finances and politics. Under the Nuremberg Laws
(1935), he removed Jewish people’s citizenship and rights. Attacks followed, resulting in
30,000 Jewish men being deported to concentration camps. The attacks were known as
Kristallnacht. The total extermination of the Jewish people was fully underway.
Concentration camps were set up to incarcerate a large number of people without trial.
Gas chambers and other brutal methods resulted in 6 million Jewish people and 5

million non-Jewish victims, known as the holocaust. The attempted extermination of all
European Jews resulted in a staggering 35-60 million deaths in the European theater.
These devastating effects resulted directly from the Treaty of Versailles. What was
meant to prevent future wars only exacerbated the problem. The Treaty of Versailles
only amplified the thirst for revenge, causing political extremism leading to massive
massacres like the Holocaust.
 

Section 3: Failed to Predict
 

         The Allies failed to predict the effects of the Treaty of Versailles. There were
numerous underlying factors that led to miscalculations. Domestic pressure from the
devastation of WWI led to the requisitions for revenge and heavy reparations. This
made it politically impossible to offer more lenient terms. After WWI, the Weimar
Republic (1918-1933) became Germany’s first democracy, known for its progressive
constitution and cultural vitality, but it failed due to economic repercussions from the
treaty. With greater benevolence from the Allies, the Weimar Republic might have
persisted, but instead, a blundered treaty made political extremism ripe in Germany.
Leaders failed to realize how much a productive Germany helped the European
economy. During the early 1900s, Germany dominated the manufacturing industry,
especially in steel, producing 17.6 million tons compared to Britain’s 7-8 million tons.
The European steel market severely depended on Germany, and its economic collapse
sent shockwaves throughout the entire European economy. The Treaty was used to
pacify Germany, especially militarily and economically. They underestimated Germany’s
role in the European economy. Europe’s recovery was definitely impeded by a deflated
Germany.
 

         The Treaty of Versailles predicted that the Allies would continue to enforce what the
treaty laid out. The Soviets not only abandoned their former band of brothers but also
aligned with the Nazis. The treaty was signed with the assumption that Germany would
not be able to form alliances because they were ostracized. That assumption was
inherently wrong, to the surprise of those who signed the treaty. The treaty should have
explicitly restricted other nations from aligning with Germany. On August 23rd, 1939, the
Soviets and Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which was a non-aggression
pact. It included a secret additional protocol that partitioned Eastern Europe into
German and Soviet spheres of influence. By coordinating their movements, the Soviets
and Germans annexed the nations as laid out in the terms. With their pact, the Germans
felt confident they could aim their firepower westward.
 

         The League of Nations also contributed to why the effects were unpredictable. Article 16
stated, "an attack on one is an attack on all," and "the severance of all trade or financial
relations." The agreement led to overconfidence in the power of the New World Order.

Members believed future conflicts could be solved peacefully. They didn’t concern
themselves with long-term consequences, even though their intelligence discovered
clues regarding German troop buildup and rearming throughout the 1930s. Their false
sense of security caused them to be unresponsive, even though a threat was building.
 

Conclusion:
 

         The Treaty of Versailles was short-sighted in strangling Germany’s economy and
military. Highly indebted to the Allies, they set the printing presses free, causing
hyperinflation to take hold, wiping out savings at a staggering pace. The Allies didn’t
foresee that the Soviets would abandon their post in policing the treaty. The Treaty of
Versailles didn’t consider the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which started the German Reich
on its path to conquer Europe. Adolf Hitler’s attempt to break the stranglehold caused
by the Treaty of Versailles and the Nazi ideology based on superiority led to the
takeover of Europe. Tens of millions paid the ultimate price for the Treaty of Versailles’
unintended consequences.
 

         The Allies failed to predict the upcoming war, as the Treaty of Versailles acted as
a false sense of security, which was seen as heavily focused on punishment. The Allies
were naive in thinking that World War II would not erupt, as they believed that
negotiation would resolve any conflict, especially with the unity of the League of
Nations. “The War Guilt Clause” attacked the prideful Germans, causing nationalism to
take hold and a leader to be in place to revitalize German dignity. The Treaty of
Versailles was written to formalize the end of WWI; however, to escape its hold over the
German people, extremism was their answer, sparking another world war.