The Treaty Of Versailles And The Holocaust 3p6u34

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES AND THE HOLOCAUST There are different opinions on the factors that caused the Holocaust, many blaming it solely on Hitler. However, there were a number of different catalysts that contributed to the persecution of the Jews. This paper will focus on the Treaty of Versailles and how it can be blamed for the Holocaust. At the end of World War I in 1918, had lost to the Allies and was going to be punished for the substantial role it played in the devastation of Europe. The Treaty of Versailles was the agreement made between all the countries except , of the reparations would have to commit to. This treaty aimed to make peace throughout Europe and to prevent another war by weakening who was one of the most dominant and feared countries before the war; it was very well off economically, had the most powerful army and the second best navy after Britain. However, by the end of the war had spent $39 billion, which in today’s would be around $1100 billion, and lost about 2 476 897 people (3.82% of the total population of at the time). Out of the 440 articles presented in the Treaty of Versailles, the most important ones were that had to take full responsibility for starting the war, that had to pay 20 billion gold marks for the destruction caused by the war, that had to cede AlsaceLorraine to (as well as other land to other countries) and that had to reduce their army to no more than 100 000 men (they also weren’t allowed war materials such as tanks, submarines, poison gas etc.). The Treaty of Versailles put a huge amount of pressure on the German government, which at that time was the Weimar Republic. While taking full blame for the war comforted much of the world (knowing that it wasn’t their fault and that someone was being punished for the devastation), it caused a lot of grief. Not only was the German population angry

The Treaty of Versailles and the Holocaust

towards the Allies for making the treaty, but they were furious at their own government for agreeing to sign the treaty. This exposed the government to criticism by both the German population and extremist political parties who believed they could do better in power. Once the treaty payments began, inflation of the mark increased exponentially. There was a scarcity of jobs and food prices became ridiculously high. The German economy decreased further as payments continued, and the standard of life deteriorated. The redistribution of land did not help the situation either. By order of the Treaty of Versailles, Alsace-Lorraine was to be given back to . This land was home to a number of factories; a good source of income for especially given her present state. Losing this land ruined the economy further and severely diminished its chances of getting any better. To make the situation even worse, the military cuts had to be implemented. The army made and her people feel safe; without it, people felt exposed and threatened by the other countries of Europe. National pride plummeted and made the German population weak and vulnerable. It was at this time that anti-democratic groups began to gain power in the political field. Adolf Hitler gained popularity very quickly among the German population. He came to power on October 30, 1933. The German’s wanted someone who could turn this time of doubt and hardship into the great nation they once knew, and this is what Hitler promised. He blamed the Weimar government for “stabbing in the back” by g the Treaty of Versailles and letting come to its present state. Hitler secretly began building ’s army back up, made alliances with Italy and Japan and took back land that was taken away from because of the treaty. Hitler and his Nazi’s also began the implementation of the persecution of the Jews, also known as the Holocaust.

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The Treaty of Versailles and the Holocaust

The Treaty of Versailles was one of the main catalysts to the Holocaust. It was created unfairly without any real thought as to how it would affect and her position after the war. The treaty essentially restricted the Weimar Republic from any real action and put them in a position where they couldn’t change anything to better their current situation. This ensured that the problems in could only get worse from there. The mistrust of the government, brought on by the treaty, created chaos, mistrust and discontent among its population which resulted in the creation of extremist political parties that tore apart . In their time of need and vulnerability, many German people believed that Hitler would make their situation better, and as a result they thoroughly believed in what Hitler preached. Because of this, the execution of the Holocaust became much easier. The treaty was created with good intentions of making peace and in no way was it made with the purpose of murdering millions of Jewish people. Although the treaty did create the atmosphere and mood in the German population of desperation and hatred for the Weimar Republic (which was important for Hitler and his coming to power), it did not force the German population to agree with what Hitler was saying; it simply made room for his debut. As Daniel Harris so eloquently put it; “The Peace of Versailles was like a big stick of dynamite, and Hitler was just the little boy with the match.”1

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"How Did the Treaty of Versailles Establish Peace?" GCSE Modern World History. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. .

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The Treaty of Versailles and the Holocaust

Works Cited Bülow, Louis. "Adolf Hitler and The Holocaust." The Holocaust, Crimes, Heroes and Villains. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. . "The Holocaust - Causes." Kidport Home Page. 1998-2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. . "Holocaust." Shvoong. 04 Apr. 2006. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. . "How Did the Treaty of Versailles Establish Peace?" GCSE Modern World History. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. . Rakoczy, Christy. "Why Did the Holocaust Happen?" Answers.yourdictionary.com. 23 November 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. .

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