The Terms of the Treaty

Germany hoped that the Treaty would be based on Wilson's Fourteen Points, but that was not the case. The Treaty enforced harsh stipulations on Germany and they had no choice but to accept, under protest, or they would risk invasion by the Allies. Article 231, commonly known as "The War Guilt Clause," obliged Germany to accept full responsibility for igniting the war and pay a large sum in reparations to the Allies. They suffered a massive territory lost, and had many legal, military, and territorial restrictions put in place.

The German Army was reduced and limited to 10,000 men, and drafts, tanks, heavy artillery, poison gas supplied, aircraft, and airships were banned. Their Navy vessels were restricted to less than 100,000 tons, and they were forbidden from having submarines or maintaining an air force. An important industrial region, Rhineland, was occupied by French forces and demilitarized, as Germany was not allowed to have any military personnel or weapons in the area. Uniting with Austria was also prohibited. They were forced to pay enormous sums in reparations for war damage, a figure ranging in the millions (£6,000), and to conduct trials against war leaders. Germany's overseas territories and colonies were confiscated and controlled by the League of Nations, which was formed to prevent further international conflicts. A great deal of land was given to Poland and Czechoslovakia, and territories were returned to France, Belgium, Lithuania, and Denmark, making their population drop significantly. They lost several important industrial regions for coal and steel production and were restricted from importing and exporting, as well.