Question

The final act of the long-drawn-out negotiations took place at Versailles on Saturday afternoon and to-day Germany and the Allies - always with the exception of America - are at peace. Peace is a blessed word and both the word and the fact are welcome to-day. So far as Germany is concerned, there is for the present, an end of strife and at least a formal return to the decent relations of civilised states. Editorial: Peace in force (12 January 1920) The Guardian

Mention any four clauses of the Treaty which affected Germany.

Answer 1

Germany was compelled to sign the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919 and was forced to accept the following comparatively harsh clauses:

1. Since Germany and her allies were found guilty of aggression, they were compelled to cede portions of their pre-war borders to Denmark, Belgium, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
2. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France. Furthermore, the Saar Valley, which is famous for its coal mining, was ceded to France for 15 years.
3. Germany had to lose her whole colonial empire, which was split among the victors. Togoland and Cameroon were split between France and England. German territories in South-West and East Africa were also taken away from her and divided among England, Belgium, Portugal and South Africa. In China, Japan received the Shantung and Kiauchau, while New Zealand received the Samoa 'Island.
4. The Rhine Valley was likewise demilitarised. The German army was similarly reduced to one million soldiers, with no air force or submarines.
5. Germany was forced to recognise war guilt and pay a large sum (£6,500,000,000) in war indemnity to the Allies.