mans, partly in revenge for Germany's aggression in World War I, but also, perhaps for the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. In Germany, citizens were worried about how radical changes after the war could affect their daily lives. All these biases, worries, plans, and ideas came together in Paris on the 28th of June 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles, establishing the post-war peace in Europe. Yet just twenty years later, war would once again break out in Europe. So why were the peace settlements of World War I unable to prevent the outbreak of war twenty years later in World War II? To understand this, one must first have a detailed understanding of the World War I peace settlement at VersaillesGermany was also punished in regard to its colonial and imperial power. During the war, Germany had control of many small islands and archipelagos in the South Pacific. The Treaty of Versailles gave these islands to Britain and Japan. In Africa, France gained the Cameroon from Germany and Britain was given German East Africa and German West Africa. All German assets in other colonies were to be immediately dissolved into the current government of those colonies. Finally, Germany's military was to be greatly reduced in size. The Treaty mandated that Germany's standing army could be no larger than 100,000 men. In addition, their Navy was reduced, and according to Article 198, "The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces." (2) Germany's army was, in effect, useless, and without an air force, the Allies hoped that Germany would be unable ever to wage war.The Treaty of Versailles also charged Germany with the task of paying heavy reparations. The treaty set up a reparations committee that would meet sometime in 1921 to determine reparations for Germany to pay. Until then, Germany would pay $5,000,000,000 due May 1, 1921. The Germans would have to wait to see what reparations they would really pay. Until then, though, the...
