The War Guilt Clause Questions
- Describe the burdens placed on Germany by the War Guilt Clause in the Treaty of Versailles.
- If we assume that the Allies never expected Germany to be able to pay off its reparations, what do you think were the actual motivations behind the Allies pressing for the War Guilt Clause?
- The Versailles settlement quickly gained a reputation as ‘a Carthaginian peace’. What was meant by this, and was it a fair and accurate assessment?
- Consider John Maynard Keynes' view of the War Guilt Clause: how does Keynes' prediction of subsequent events compare to his observations during the treaty negotiations?
Group Question: How did the goals of the League of Nations and the terms laid out in the Treaty of Versailles (specifically the terms related to Germany) seem to be in conflict?
The War Guilt Clause Research
History: Treaty of Versailles
Germany and the Treaty of Versailles
Economic Issues in the 1920s
The Aftermath of the First World War in Germany
War Guilt Clause
Treaty of Versailles: the War Guilt Clause
Signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty
Wiki: The Economic Consequences of the Peace
Keynes Predicts Economic Chaos
John Maynard Keynes, the Daily Mail, and the Treaty of Versailles
John Maynard Keynes on German Reparations
Wiki: Carthaginian Peace Treaty
The Peace to End All Peace