After the end of World War I, in a series of treaties at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, the Big Four--Britain, France, Italy, and the United States--dictated their terms.
The Treaty of Versailles was written with very rigid restrictions to be placed upon Germany:
- Germany had to limit its army to 100,000 soldiers.
- Distribution of conquered German territories was to be made among Allied Nations
- Germany was required to pay reparations to the central powers...
After the end of World War I, in a series of treaties at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, the Big Four--Britain, France, Italy, and the United States--dictated their terms.
The Treaty of Versailles was written with very rigid restrictions to be placed upon Germany:
- Germany had to limit its army to 100,000 soldiers.
- Distribution of conquered German territories was to be made among Allied Nations
- Germany was required to pay reparations to the central powers in the amount of 132 billion gold marks (US$33 billion) for civilian damage caused during the war.
Germany was in no position to pay these reparations; in addition, Germans felt that these restrictions were insulting. Therefore, because the reparations were both insulting and impossible to pay, the government of Germany strove to undermine the validity of the Versailles treaty. Thus, friction developed, especially with France.
Since Germany appeared unable to repay its debts in 1931 after a financial crisis hit the country, U. S. President Herbert Hoover intervened; in June of this year, he urged the Allies to accept a one-year moratorium on the war debts, so in July, the "Hoover Moratorium" was accepted. Later, in January of 1932, given the economic conditions of the time, Chancellor Heinrich Brüning sought the cancellation of reparations. England and Italy supported this position, but it was opposed by France. Many historians feel that this opposition of France precipitated the second world war.
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