the treaty of versailles & the german economic collapse
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The Causes of WWII Part 1:. The Treaty of Versailles & The German Economic Collapse. THE END OF WWI. OBVIOUSLY ENDED WITH THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS . What do you think ?. Will they show them mercy ? Will they make them pay for the war ? What will become of Germany? Discuss. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Treaty of Versailles &The German Economic Collapse
The Causes of WWII Part 1:
THE END OF WWI
OBVIOUSLY ENDED WITH THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS
What do you think?
Will they show them mercy?
Will they make them pay for the war?
What will become of Germany?
Discuss
The End of World War One The Germans tried negotiate terms to end the war
while maintaining their honor The US President, Woodrow Wilson, proposed 14
points that Germany must agree to for the war to end
Wilson was not interested in punishing Germany Rather, he wished to build systems and institutions
that would provide a more peaceful future (e.g. The League of Nations)
Overall, Germany was pleased with the 14 points and eventually surrendered under the impression that these points would be the basis of the peace treaty.
FUN FACT: WOODROW DOESENT WANT AMERICA TO JOIN LEAGUE
So.. Here’s what we have so far
America wants Europe to rebuild itself (including Germany)
But not everyone feels the same way…
Why did i put that?
BECAUSE: THE FRENCH THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY
The Paris Peace Conference- 1919 The Paris peace
conference is where the combatants met to create the peace
One Problem: The meeting was
dominated by the French who wanted to forever destroy Germany’s ability to make war
Any idea why the French wanted to destroy Germany’s military ?
AND THEN THERE WAS THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES- 1919
What do you think happens? How do you think the allies will deal with Germany
Discuss…
Think of:
-Military-Economy-Repairs-Land
On top of all that
Saar Region (Germany’s richest land in terms of natural resources) was occupied by the French
SO AT THIS POINT, THE GERMANS ARE LIKE…
AND THE ALLIES ARE LIKE…
AND THESE ARE THE DUDES THAT DO IT…
Him not so much…
SO WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE TREATY? WHO GAINED? WHO LOST?
DO YOU THINK THE WORLD AGREES WITH THE TERMS?
Discuss
The Effects of the Treaty The Treaty was considered excessive by
many at the time Germany was humiliated and economically
destroyed Who else suffered? Austria/Hungary was completely destroyed Italy received no benefit for its war efforts
and fell into poverty Russia and Germany were both banned from
joining the League of Nations (Did not trust them, Bolshevik Russian Revolution)
So what happened to Europe after the war?
DID GERMANY LOSE OR GAIN LAND?
Before and After…WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE?
Talk amongst yourselves
SO WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO GERMANY? NAMELY, THE GERMAN ECONOMY?
The German Economy in the 1920s It would have been very difficult for
Germany to make repartitions payments even if their economy was healthy
However, with no colonies and the loss of so much territory, Germanys situation was completely hopeless
In order to find a way out of this situation, the new German government, began to print extra money to make the payments on time.
THIS
What do you thinkabout this picture?
What am I trying toshow you
Hyperinflation
The prices in Germany rose so fast that German money became completely useless
Almost the entire German population became poor almost overnight
SO HOW BAD WAS IT?
What do you think?
4 Billion Marks
100 Gold Marks = 100 Trillion Marks
The Effect of Hyperinflation The German rich did very well during inflation They bought up land, assets and expanded
their businesses The inflation cancelled out their debt However, lower and middle class Germans
were completely destroyed – life savings were eliminated
Employers could not keep up with the inflation, many stopped working as their weekly cheque would not be enough for a cup of coffee.
The Effect of Hyperinflation Part 2 Police and government officials stopped working The streets were run by gangs and groups of
ex-soldiers Violence and crime were rampant Most transactions were from Trading or
Bartering Communists and Right wing groups fought for
control of the country and the hearts and minds of the citizens
1923 Germany made our depression seem like a picnic!
What’s next?
This terrifying environment was the perfect place for psychopaths and misfits to gain attention
Those who promised revenge and the restoration of Germany’s greatness soon became national heroes
The greatest of all these was . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfWVu3LogYo
THE PLAY
BORING YET INFORMATIVE VIDEO