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Treaty of Versailles - Main Terms

Blame, Military, Territorial, Financial

Blame
  • Article 231 – The “War Guilt Clause”:
  • Germany and its allies were forced to accept full responsibility for causing World War I.
  • This clause was used to justify reparations and harsh penalties.
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Military Restrictions
✳️ Army
  • Army limited to 100,000 men.
  • Conscription banned – army had to be made up of volunteers only.
  • No tanks or heavy artillery allowed.
  • Article 160 – Details German army limitations.
✳️ Navy
  • Navy limited to:
  • 6 battleships
  • No submarines
  • 12 destroyers, 6 cruisers, and other small ships only.
  • Article 181 – Limits the size and number of German naval ships.
✳️ Air Force
  • Completely banned – Germany was not allowed an air force.
  • No military or naval aviation permitted.
  • Article 198 – Prohibits all German air forces.
✳️ Rhineland
  • The Rhineland was to be demilitarized permanently.
  • German troops, weapons, or fortifications were not allowed in this area.
  • Aimed to protect France from future attacks.

Territorial Losses
  • Germany lost 13% of its land and 6 million people.
✳️ Europe:
  • Alsace-Lorraine → returned to France.
  • Eupen & Malmedy → given to Belgium.
  • North Schleswig → joined Denmark after a vote.
  • West Prussia & Posen → given to Poland, creating the Polish Corridor.
  • Danzig → made a Free City under League of Nations control.
  • Saar → placed under League of Nations for 15 years; coal given to France.
  • Article 80 – Anschluss (union with Austria) was forbidden.
✳️ Overseas:
  • All colonies lost – turned into League of Nations mandates, mostly given to Britain, France, and Japan.
  • Article 119 – Renounced all rights to overseas territories.​

Financial and Economic Terms
  • Germany had to pay £6.6 billion in reparations (set in 1921).
  • Article 232 – Required Germany to pay compensation for war damage.
  • Germany had to give coal to France, Belgium, and Italy.
  • Loss of industrial areas (e.g., Saar) weakened the economy.
  • Germany lost much of its merchant fleet and had to hand over railways and ships.​

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