The Treaty of Versailles was an agreement between the Allies and Germany for a peace settlement at the end of the World War I. The Germany government had no choice but to accept the Treaty presented to it. According to the authors of Germany’s complaint, the treaty had many effects on the economy of Germany. For example, it was indicated in the treaty that Germany would pay a huge sum of money as compensation to the Allies. That in itself was a challenge because the country had suffered a lot economically during the war.
For that reason, it was hard for Germany to pay the agreed amount as it was also reconstructing its economy, which had been stretched during the war (Boemeke, Feldman & Glaser, 1998). The other effect is that the French and Belgium troops invaded Germany, and took all the raw materials because the country was unable to pay the debt it had borrowed. That further resulted to the deterioration of the Germany economy. The fact that the economy of Germany continued to decrease this led to be no longer the second nation worldwide in terms of economic advancement.
In Germany’s view, if the principles of President Wilson had been applied, then there would be no economic crisis. This is because the fourteen Principles of President Wilson stated that there would be no economic barriers across the territories (Tucker, 2007). The raw materials of Germany would not have been taken because the principles stated that no country was allowed to invade to another country and take its resources. Germany together with other countries of that region would have grown their economies because they would reach an amicable consensus.
In strengthening Germany’s assertions, the document states that the aim of the war was to achieve the right to self-determination. The document also outlined that the cessation of the country without consulting the population was wrong. The authors of the complaint used the basic values of humanity to support their argument regarding the unfair treatment of Germany.
I agree with the argument of the author that Germany was poorly treated. This is because there were more people from Germany who had been taken away from their original land without their will (College.cengage.com). There is also evidence that the territory of the Germany was invaded by its neighbors. The other evidence is that the right of self-determination of Germany was violated in the sense that Danzig, which was part of the German empire, was separated and made a free state (College.cengage.com).
Additionally, the fact that Germany was not included in the list to join the League of Nations is also another indication that Germany was not treated in the right manner. If the allies truly wanted peace to prevail and have everyone on board, then inviting Germany to be a member of the League of Nations would have been the logical thing to do. The defendants of the treaties can defend themselves and say that the German nation did not have claims against its territories. The Allies can also defend themselves by saying that the war was a result of the old political system of Germany and it was not meant to destroy Germany.
In conclusion, it is evident that there were many effects on the economy of Germany resulting from the treaty. The economy of the Germany deteriorated due to the large amount borrowed. The nation was no longer the second in the world in terms of economic size, and partly that could be attributed to the fact that all its raw materials were taken when it was unable to pay its debts. Germany would also be affected differently if the principles of President Wilson were applied fairly. Finally, from the document, it is evident that Germany was not treated properly.
References
Boemeke, M. F., Feldman, G. D., & Glaser, E. (1998). The Treaty of Versailles: A reassessment after 75 years. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.
Tucker, R. W. (2007). Woodrow Wilson and the Great War: Reconsidering America's neutrality 1914-1917. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press.
Comments of the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference on the Conditions of Peace. (1919). College.cengage.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016, from h ttps://college.cengage.com/history/primary_sources/world/conditions_of_peace.htm
