The 'war guilt clause' of the Treaty of Versailles, which followed the cessation of hostilities in World War I and formally ended that war, had a profoundly negative effect on the German people. The most negative effect was undeniably the resentment against the West that gradually increased among Germans: this resentment was utilized by Hitler and the Nazis in their rise to power, and it served as one primary cause of World War II.
# Article 231 (also called the war guilt clause) was used as the justification for making Germany pay reparations. # The war guilt clause had (or seemed to have) moral implications. # Some politicians deliberately stirred up intense anger about the 'war guilt' clause. # Some felt the clause implied that Germany was a rogue state. The fact that Germany was not admitted to the League of Nations till 1925-26 heightened this impression.
The War Guilt Clause was met with discontent from the German people. The causes of the First World War were very complicated and it was unfair to blame Germany solely.
However, the biggest cause for the dislike of the clause was that accepting full blame for the war brought with it a whole host of responsibilities. Accepting the War Guilt Clause meant that all the damage in the war was blamed on the Germans who had to foot the bill with the £6.6 billion reparations - also set out in the Treaty of Versailles. Reparations further crippled Germany's ruined economy briniging with it great hardship for ordinary Germans.
The clause also gave the victors more of a reason to punish German with the rest of the Treaty of Versailles. The War Guilt Clause could therefore have been seen as the excuse used by the Big 3 to impose such an unfair treaty on Germany to suit their own needs.
Article 231 read:
The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.
Germany obviously wouldn't have felt great about this clause, as it meant the blame for the war rested squarely on their shoulders. It also meant they would have to pay reparation fees to the United States that would reach into the billions of dollars.
They felt that they weren't the aggressors in World War 1, later they blamed the Versailles Treaty, which included the guilt clause, on Jewish Generals
Quite badly.
War guilt clause
Clause 231 was that Germany had to accept war guilt for starting the war.
Austria-Hungary
That Germany was being Punished for something it was not responsible for. The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany, and Germany alone for the outbreak of WWI, when this was not the case. Yes Germany wanted war, but it began with an assassination in Austri and, many different nations joined the war for different reasons. Therefore the war guilt clause of the treaty, was arguably the most difficult for the German people to swallow. The War guilt clause hand in hand with huge reparations, consequently had an immense impact on the coming years. It is believed to be one of the direct causes for the Kapp Putch therefore the rise of nationalism and ultimately the coming of Adolf hitler to power in 1933.
Definently Article 231, aka "The War Guilt Clause"
Commonly known as the "Guilt Clause" or the "War Guilt Clause", Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles.
War guilt clause
The war guilt clause forced Germany to take all the blame for World War I.
War Guilt clause
Commonly known as the "Guilt Clause" or the "War Guilt Clause", Article 231 is the first article in Part VIII, "Reparations" of the Treaty of Versailles. Apart from "Article 231", there is no title for this article in the treaty itself. ...(answered from Pakistan)
Clause 231 was that Germany had to accept war guilt for starting the war.
Austria-Hungary
War guilt clause
Forced Germany to admit sole responsibility for started WWI
The 'war guilt clause' of the Treaty of Versailles, which followed the cessation of hostilities in World War I and formally ended that war, had a profoundly negative effect on the German people. The most negative effect was undeniably the resentment against the West that gradually increased among Germans: this resentment was utilized by Hitler and the Nazis in their rise to power, and it served as one primary cause of World War II.
Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles - the War Guilt Clause - stated that Germany had to accept blame for the war. This clause then allowed the Allies to order Germany to pay reparations... £6.6 BILLION.
Many Germans felt that the war-guilt clause in the Treaty of Versailles unfairly placed all blame for World War I on Germany, leading to a strong sense of injustice and humiliation. This contributed to the rise of nationalist sentiments and public resentment towards the treaty, fueling support for revisionist and militaristic attitudes in the interwar period.