After 4 years and an estimated 37 million people dead, 20 million people wounded World War I finally came to an end. World War I ended in November 1918, and the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. How did the Treaty of Versailles help start World War II? The Versailles Treaty helped cause World War II by treating Germany harshly, and letting Germany has no response to the Treaty. This harsh treatment can be seen through military restrictions on Germany, economic reparations, and the war guilt clause. .
One way the Versailles Treaty treated Germany harshly was by putting military restrictions on them. Article 160 in the Treaty of Versailles when talking about Germany's army says, "The total number of military troops in Germany must not exceed one hundred thousand .The total effective strength of officers, including the personnel of staff, must not exceed four thousand. " The next piece of evidence is a German political cartoon showing us how France had chains holding Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, while all the countries were surrounding Germany. These pieces of evidence support the idea that military restrictions helped cause World War II because Germany had no military power and Germany was being overpowered by the nearby countries. .
A second way the Versailles Treaty treated Germany harshly was economic reparations. In Articles 232 and 233 of the Treaty of Versailles when talking about Germany paying the damage off, it says, "She will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property during the period of the belligerency .within a period of thirty years from May 1, 1921. " Another piece of evidence is a chart by John Maynard Keynes which shows how in 1921 Germany was angry and humiliated and paid $367 billion, then in 1929 Germany paid $341 including American loans, and finally 1933 Germany paid no money and Hitler came to power.
