This lesson examines:
- The different aims of the world leaders at the Versailles Treaty
- What was done to germany by the terms of the Versailles Treaty (in other words the terms of the treaty)
- How Germans reacted to the Versailles Treaty
Student Instructions - Download the Powerpoint and save your own version in your area
- Read through the PowerPoint carefully taking notes where appropriate
- In your own version of the PowerPoint edit and complete the tasks on slides 11 and 26
- In Word answer the questions posed on slides 14, 15, 16,17, 18 and 35. Save your Word File
- Read the extract below by John D Clare on how the Germans reacted to the treaty.
- Complete Exercise 1 and Exercise 2 on German Reactions and print
- Read the terms of the treaty link then Complete the Summary Exercise and print
- Test your knowledge using the Quiz and then the game
By the end of this lesson you should have a PowerPoint presentation you have edited and saved, a Word file of answers to the questions set in the PowerPoint and three print outs from the online activities set.
German Reactions To the Treaty of Versailles (John D Clare)
When the Germans heard about the Treaty of Versailles, they felt 'pain and anger'. They felt it was unfair. They had not been allowed to take part in the talks - they had just been told to sign. At first they refused to sign the Treaty. Some Germans wanted to start the war again. The Germans were angry at Clause 231; they said they were not to blame for the war. The soldier sent to sign the Treaty refused to sign it - 'To say such a thing would be a lie,' he said. The Germans were angry about reparations; they said France and Britain were trying to starve their children to death. At first they refused to pay, and only started paying after France and Britain invaded Germany (January 1921). The Germans were angry about their tiny army. They said they were helpless against other countries. At first they refused to reduce the army, and the sailors sank the fleet, rather than hand it over. The Germans also thought the loss of territory was unfair. Germany lost a tenth of its land. Other nations were given self-determination - but the Treaty forced Germans to live in other countries. Germans were also angry that they could not unite with the Austrian Germans.
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