The War Guilt Clause said that Germany had caused the war, so they had to be punished for it. The reality was that Germany wasn't even the first country to declare war- they were the third, after Austria and Russia. But the theory was that Germany had pressured Austria to declare war first, so it was their fault.
Secondly, Germany hadn't been completely defeated when the war ended. The German Army was still fighting in France when the armistice was signed in November 1918; Allied soldiers had not set foot on German soil since the war began. Now, to be fair, the Germans were definitely losing the war- in autumn 1918, the Allies had begun a major offensive operation that was forcing the Germans to retreat. It seemed that at any moment, the German Army would completely fall apart.
But the fact that the Germans were losing meant that they hadn't lost. So many Germans didn't think it was fair to be treated so badly when they hadn't actually lost the war. This dissatisfaction led to the creation of the so-called Dolchstosslegende ("dagger-blow legend")- this was the idea that greedy politicians had backstabbed their own country and forced Germany to surrender before the war was really over. Extremist politicians would eventually use the concept to overthrow democracy in Germany and lead to World War II.
Clause 231 was that Germany had to accept war guilt for starting the war.
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It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
Germany. The War Guilt Clause was included as an excuse for all the harsh punishments and restrictions directed at Germany. The Clause forced Germany to admit that the war was their fault and that they should be punished.
Germany had to sign the War Guilt Clause 331 The Saar was given to France for 15 years The Rhineland was demilitarized for 15 years Germany's army was limited to 100,000 men They had to pay reparations of £6,600 million They were forbidden to unite with Austria
It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
Clause 231 was that Germany had to accept war guilt for starting the war.
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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.
It identified Germany as the nation that had started the war.
THe German people didn't feel that they were responsible for the war, which started as a local dispute in the Balkans. The German people also didn't feel that they had lost the war because the fighting didn't really take place in Germany, to them they could have won the war if they had not surrendered when they did.
War Guilt clause
Germany. The War Guilt Clause was included as an excuse for all the harsh punishments and restrictions directed at Germany. The Clause forced Germany to admit that the war was their fault and that they should be punished.
Germany had to sign the War Guilt Clause 331 The Saar was given to France for 15 years The Rhineland was demilitarized for 15 years Germany's army was limited to 100,000 men They had to pay reparations of £6,600 million They were forbidden to unite with Austria