Treaty Terms and Their Impact
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles and how they hit Germany: the land it lost, the limits on its armed forces, the war-guilt clause, the reparations, and why Germans called the treaty a Diktat.
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The price of defeat
Once the leaders had agreed, the Treaty of Versailles set out exactly how Germany would be treated. Germany was made to give up land, cut its armed forces, accept blame for the war, and pay for the damage. This module looks at those terms, groups them into areas, and explains the impact they had on Germany.
Treaty words
Learn these four terms before you study the settlement.
Lost and limited
The terms did two big things to Germany: they took things away, and they held it back.
Group the terms
A strong answer sorts the terms into four areas: the territory Germany lost, the military limits placed on it, the war-guilt clause, and the reparations it had to pay. It then explains why Germans hated the treaty, calling it a Diktat because they were forced to sign it with no say in the terms.
Match the territory
- Alsace-Lorraine
- the Saar
- the Polish Corridor
- Anschluss
- was given back to France
- a coalfield placed under League control
- gave Poland a route to the sea
- a union with Austria that was banned
Match the meaning
- conscription
- a mandate
- the navy limit
- the air force ban
- forcing men by law to join the army
- a former colony run on behalf of the League
- only a small number of ships allowed
- Germany could have no military planes
Which area was cleared?
Which German area was demilitarised, so no German troops were allowed there?
- The Rhineland.
- The Saar.
- Alsace-Lorraine.
- The Polish Corridor.
Spot the military terms
Select the TWO terms that limited the German armed forces.
- The army was capped at 100 thousand men.
- Germany was allowed no air force.
- Alsace-Lorraine was given to France.
- Germany had to pay reparations.
Follow the consequences
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- Germany is forced to sign the treaty
- Germany is told to pay heavy reparations
- The German economy struggles under the cost
- Anger and resentment grow in Germany
Complete the settlement
Germany lost the coalfields of the _____ to League control. Alsace-Lorraine was given back to _____. The army was cut to 100 _____ soldiers. Germany was forbidden to unite with _____. Germans felt the treaty was unfair and called it a _____.
Count the cut
Before the war the German army had about 800 thousand soldiers. The treaty capped it at 100 thousand. How many thousand soldiers had to go? Subtract 100 from 800.
Find the military terms
Tap the TWO terms that limited the German armed forces.
- no air force allowed
- army capped at 100 thousand
- colonies taken away
- must pay reparations
Sort the term
Read each term of the treaty and choose which area it belongs to.
- Germany had to give Alsace-Lorraine back to France
- Germany was not allowed to build any submarines
- Germany had to pay 6.6 billion pounds for the damage
Explain the terms
Describe the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles and explain their impact on Germany. Cover the territory Germany lost, the limits on its forces, and how Germans felt about the treaty.
- Describe two territorial or military terms
- Explain the war-guilt clause and the reparations
- Explain why Germans were angry about the treaty