Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
What kind of treaty were the Germans expecting?
The Germans knew they had to pay a price, however they had several reasons for hoping that the peace treaty would not be a harsh one.
What are the reasons as to why Germans believed that the peace treaty would not be harsh?
- New democratic government
- President Wilson believed in a fair treaty
- Germany was not to blame for the war
Why was a new democratic government a reason as to why Germans believed that the peace treaty would not be harsh?
- One of the Allie’s condition for peace was to remover the Kaiser and a democratic government needed to be formed. By January 1919 the Germans had already fulfilled that requirement. The new government was democratically elected. It could not be blamed for the war.
Why was President Wilson a reason as to why Germans believed that the peace treaty would not be harsh?
President Wilson was to be the main force in the treaty negotiations. He believed that the treaty should not be too harsh on Germany. He said that if the treaty punished Germany too greatly it might recover and want revenge.
Why was the fact that Germany was not to be blamed for the war a reason as to why Germans believed that the peace treaty would not be harsh?
Most Germans felt that all countries should bear equal blame for WW1. In their views, Germany had been forces into a war by the way it was treated by other countries.
