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Q: Why did the allies dictated a harsh peace settlement to Germany?
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What was the harsh peace settlement dictated by the allies at the end of world war 1?

It was called the Treaty of Versailles which said, among many other things, that the German military was to be held to 100,000 men who could only keep order within the German territory. Germany was made to accept responsibility for all damage done during the war, although the Allies acknowledged that Germany would never be able to pay for all damage done. The Allies agreed to seek reparations for specific civilian damages only. Germany had to relinquish control over all of their foreign territories. Alsace-Lorraine territory was returned to France and a demilitarized zone was established along that border to allay France's fear of further German aggression. Polish territory was returned to Polish control.


Treaty that set out how Germany should be punished for World War 1?

The Treaty of Versailles was pretty harsh on the Germans, but not nearly as harsh as France and Great Britain would have liked. This harsh treaty led to Germany starting world war 2.


What treaty imposed a harsh peace on germany after the Great War?

Treaty of Versailles


Did the ending of World War I create the basis for World War 2?

The Treaty of Versailles ending WW 1 had harsh terms for Germany. So harsh that it caused much resentment towards the victorious allies. Many historians say the seeds of WW 2 were sown by the ending of WW 1 and the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler used part of this discontent to gain power.


Was the tough peace settlement imposed on Germany in 1919 necessary?

The peace settlement imposed on Germany via the Treaty of Versailles was rather tough and harsh. So much so the Germans saw this as a 'Diktat' or dictated peace settlement. Germany had to accept full blame for having caused the First World War. The disarmament clause was aimed at disarming Germany, the reparation clause was aimed at crippling its economy, while the clause on plebiscite enabled the German possessions in Europe to exercise self-determination so that the people could decide whether they want to be part of Germany. On top of this the treaty also aimed to end Germany as a world power by forcing her to give up her overseas colonies. Was this really necessary? This was seen by the Big Three as necessary. Prime Minister Clemenceau of France felt that Germany must not rise as a military power again. Prime Minister Lloyd George of Britain was of the view that Germany should be punished for having caused so much of destruction. Even President Woodrow Wilson of the USA felt the need to punish Germany. Hence, the need to weaken Germany so that another destructive war of such a magnitude would not take place. A tough peace settlement will ensure that Germany became very weak economically and militarily. If Germany had to concentrate all its efforts into developing its economy it would not think of being aggressive. On top of that disarmament would make the German army weak to even consider being aggressive. Hence such a tough treaty was necessary to maintain world peace. Besides weakening Germany, the victors also felt that the treaty was necessary to ensure that the loser i.e. Germany paid for the damages incurred by the winners. France was insistent on getting compensation for the money it had spent on the war. Britain, for example, was keen to gain overseas colonies that belonged to Germany. These countries felt that such a tough treaty was necessary to improve their situation. Plebiscite ensured that the people could decide for themselves whether they would want to be part of Germany. Wilson saw this as necessary as this gave more rights to the people. However, it is also believed that such a tough treaty was not necessary. It not only humiliated the Germans but would also get them to resent the Treaty. The terms of the peace settlement adversely affected the livelihood of the German population. The new government had to live with the tough terms although it was not responsible for the war. The government was in the process of rebuilding the country that was destroyed by the war. Having to face such a tough treaty would not be of much help to the new German government. In view of the devastating impact the treaty would have on the Germans, such a tough settlement was unnecessary. In fact, it actually paved the way for the rise of Hitler and the subsequent aggressive policy that resulted in the Second World War. Hence, this shows that such a tough settlement was not necessary. The tough treaty was therefore necessary only to a limited extent. Although it aimed to prevent another war, it actually caused the rise of Hitler who caused widespread destruction in Europe. Hence, such a tough treaty was not really a necessity. The Second World War could have been avoided if the peace settlement had not been that harsh.

Related questions

What was the harsh peace settlement dictated by the allies at the end of world war 1?

It was called the Treaty of Versailles which said, among many other things, that the German military was to be held to 100,000 men who could only keep order within the German territory. Germany was made to accept responsibility for all damage done during the war, although the Allies acknowledged that Germany would never be able to pay for all damage done. The Allies agreed to seek reparations for specific civilian damages only. Germany had to relinquish control over all of their foreign territories. Alsace-Lorraine territory was returned to France and a demilitarized zone was established along that border to allay France's fear of further German aggression. Polish territory was returned to Polish control.


What alternatives did European nations face when their Allies entered the war?

Germany could have refused to back Austria on the grounds that the ultimatum to Serbia was too harsh. ;)


What was one of the terms of the armistice that ended the war?

Harsh reparations paid by Germany to the victorious Allies,The creation of new countries from the territory taken from Germany/Austria-Hungary/Ottoman Empire.Creation of the League of Nations


Why did the red army come to Hitler?

Quite simply the Red Army got to Berlin before the Western Allies. The Western Allies were bogged-down in western Germany and had been held-back by the battle of the bulge and the harsh Ardennes winter in 1944.


What were the political and economic developments in Germany between 1919 and 1923?

The German Revolution came to an end August 1919, when the Weimar Republic was formally established, replacing the monarchy. Germany was suffering from a depression as a result of the harsh peace conditions dictated by the Treaty of Versailles, which forced Germany to compensate for the damages of World War One and to pay war reparations.


Why were the terms of the treaty of Versailles so harsh on Germany?

The Allies wanted to ensure that Germany would not threaten other countries in Europe. (gradpoint)


Why were france and germany enemies?

They had conflicting interests, different allies, different forms of government and some harsh feelings after the Franco-Prussia War.


Why were German people not prepared to accept the harsh peace terms of the Versailles treaty?

The terms of peace laid out by the Versailles Treaty were actually plans to decimate the German military and economy.


What three countries were unsatisfied with the peace settlement following World War 1?

Germany, Italy, and Japan were unsatisfied with the peace settlement following World War I. Germany thought the terms were too harsh and vindictive while Italy and Japan were unhappy with the amount of land they received. Both of the latter countries were expecting more land as a reward for all of their sacrifices.


How the French and British treated Germans after World War 1.?

They wanted to make Germany weaker militarily. The treaty of Versailles (created by the allies who won ww1) was harsh on germany. It blamed them for starting the war and made them pay huge amounts of money as well as limiting their army size and taking away land. England were slightly less harsh on Germany because they suffered less in ww1 but France wanted Germany to suffer for destroying their land and killing so many of their people because a lot of the war was fought in france.


Treaty that set out how Germany should be punished for World War 1?

The Treaty of Versailles was pretty harsh on the Germans, but not nearly as harsh as France and Great Britain would have liked. This harsh treaty led to Germany starting world war 2.


What type of settlement would a harsh desert attract?

houses made of thick wall made of mud