This extra credit opportunity is worth 2 points of extra credit PER question on your Unit 6 Test.
The Treaty of Versailles was led by the Big Four - United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. Germany and the Central Powers were not invited to participate in the peace talks. Every nation came to the conference with different needs and expectations. Great Britain and France who had suffered great losses at the hands of the Germans wanted them to pay back a fair price for the damage they had caused. They sought this in the acquisition of colonies, land grants, and reparations. Directions: Read Document A and B and answer the questions provided. Document A - Germany's Response to the Treaty of Versailles We were aghast when we read in documents the demands made upon us, the victorious violence of our enemies. The more deeply we penetrate into the spirit of this treaty, the more convinced we become of the impossibility of carrying it out. The extractions of this treaty are more than the German people can bear. ...Germany, thus cut in pieces and weakened, must declare herself reading in principle to bear all the war expenses of her enemies, which we would exceed many times over the total amount of German State and private assets... Thus must a whole people sign the decree for... its own death sentence. Source: "Leader of the German Peace Delegation, Count Von Brockdorff-Rantzau's Letter to Paris Peace Conference, President Georges Clemenecau on the Subject of Peace Terms, May 1919. Document B - Treaty of Versailles As part payment towards the total reparation due from Germany for the damage resulting from the war, Germany cedes to France... the coal mines situated in the region of Alsace-Lorraine. The territories were ceded to Germany in 1871... are restored to French sovereignty... Germany renounces in favor of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers all her rights and titles over her overseas possessions... Germany renounces, in favor of Japan, all her rights, title and privileges... which she acquired in virtue of the Treaty concluded by her with China on March 6, 1898... The German military forces shall be demobilized and reduced... The Allied and Associated Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate... to make complete reparation for all... loss and damage. The Allied and Associated Governments, however, require, and Germany undertakes, that she will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property during the period of the belligerency of each as an Allied or Associated Power against Germany. Source: Treaty of Versaille, June 28, 1919. Analysis Questions 1. What was the German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles? Do the Allied Powers recognize this reaction as legitimate (see the last two paragraphs of the Treaty of Versailles)? 2. What does the Treaty of Versailles require Germany to do? What does Germany believe will happen if the treaty is ratified?
12 Comments
Abby P
5/4/2018 09:09:30 am
1. When the Germans read the Treaty of Versailles they “were aghast” (doc A). The more that they read into it, the more that they felt that the requirements would be impossible for them to keep. They feel that the Treaty of Versailles is a death sentence for them (doc A). The Allied Powers do recognize this as an legitimate reaction, however it does not change Germany's punishments. “The Allied and Associated Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate... to make complete reparation for all... loss and damage.”(doc B).This means that even though the allies understand, it will not change anything. Germany will still have to pay reparations.
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Ryan E
5/6/2018 06:21:25 pm
1. I agree with your answer to #1. It has good explanation and good sourcing. I liked how you used both documents as a reference.
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Olivia W.
5/7/2018 05:40:37 pm
1) I love how you sourced!!! I should've done that too lol. Yes, I agree completely with your answer. I totally agree with the part about how the farther they read, the more shocked they became. But they deserve all they got, cause they literally caused a world war.
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Ryan E
5/6/2018 06:44:31 pm
1. The Germans were "aghast" when they read the Treaty of Versailles. They felt they were having to do too much. According to Document A, "The extractions of this treaty are more than the German people can bear." They are saying that they couldn't handle all that. The Allied Powers did recognize that their reaction was legitimate. Even though they thought that, it didn't change the punishments enacted.
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Abby P
5/7/2018 05:00:06 am
I agree with your answer for number one. The Germans definitely felt that too much was being asked of them. The sources work really well with your answers and you did a good job explaining them.
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Alyssa Z.
5/7/2018 01:34:55 pm
1) According to document A, the Germans "were aghast" when they read the Treaty of Versailles for the first time. They knew when reading the "impossible" demands that they would go completely bankrupt, hitting the common residents the hardest, and leaving little room for them to rebuild their economy.
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Abby S.
5/7/2018 01:40:21 pm
1. In your first part you have good quotes to support your answers, and you explained what you meant in great amounts of detail. I love how you did a different quote from everyone else, although it was required to be unique. Very good overall.
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Abby S.
5/7/2018 01:36:14 pm
1.The Germans " were aghast" (Document A) about the requirements they had to fulfill from the Treaty of Versailles after the war. The more the Germans read into the Treaty of Versailles, the more they felt it was impossible to keep all these requirements of the German when this Treaty is put into account. According to the first document, the Germans believed that it was essentially "Thus must a whole people sign the decree for... its own death sentence"(Document A). This insinuates that this would be there weakest hour or there weakest point against the other countries, and they sound unsure as to whether or not they will come back from this.
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Alyssa Z
5/7/2018 02:08:57 pm
For number 1, I agree that the Germans just kept becoming more and more astonished as they continued to read the Treaty, since they had no way to pay for the reparations! I also agree with how you said the Germans were unsure about whether or not they would come back from that Treaty's punishment, but I felt that you could have added that they did in fact find a way to come back, and it was done so strongly that they managed to start another world war under a century after the previous one. All in all, I agreed with the points you were making and thought your evidence was insightful.
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Cassidy W.
5/8/2018 08:08:52 pm
I agree that the Germans thought the treaty was impossible, it really was a lot to take in and probably surprised them a lot. I think your use of quotes to support your answers is very good and helps to make your answers more trustworthy and reliable. I do agree with you on the second question as well, they were scared for the future of their country.
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Olivia W.
5/7/2018 05:36:52 pm
1) The Germans were aghast, as said in document A. Honestly, the allies probably didn't see their response as legit. They said that they might as well have a death sentence, and they're being a bit dramatic. I don't believe they saw their response as legit.
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Cassidy W.
5/8/2018 07:59:23 pm
1. Document B said, "We were aghast when we read in documents the demands made upon us," which means the Germans were horrified by the Treaty Of Versailles. They were horrified, because the treaty called for a lot that would weaken Germany dramatically. The Allies do believe, because, in the text, it says: "The Allied and Associated Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate... to make complete reparation for all... loss and damage."
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