Wilson believed the treaty of Versailles should punish Germany but not so harshly that it would someday recover and seek revenge. However Wilson’s main aims were portrayed> through his fourteen points. But perhaps his main goal for post war Europe was to strengthen democracy in Germany so the citizens would not let its leaders cause another war. France suffered enormous damage in WW1. When the war ended the general population of France wanted revenge on Germany.
Germany was not happy about losing all this land as it made them smaller, it damaged the economy and they lost colonies to make them look stronger and to help them if another war broke out. Another reason Germany was unhappy was because they were force to take war guilt. Germany had to take all of the blame for the war. This made Germany angry as they did not actually start the war and there were other people involved. Germany also had to pay reparation.
The Berlin blockade and airlift was more to blame than the Marshall plan for increasing cold war tension In this essay I shall explain why Berlin blockade contributed most to the changed relations, but also how the Marshall plan was important. The Marshall plan was created by George Marshall so that Trueman would keep his promise to contain communism. The Marshall plan gave 17 billion dollars to countries who were still recovering from WW1. This created tension because Western Europe could become more prosperous. This angered Stalin as he did not want West Germany to recover and be given Marshall Aid.
This treaty placed blame solely on Germany resulting in loss of the Rhineland, also Germany had to demilitarize and pay back billions to allies as part of war reparations[1]. This push by the Allied powers left Germany defeated but not destroyed as this loss offered a starting point for a political push away from the imperial government of the past to a new republic as Germans began to revolt. Named the Weimar Republic, the new government in place was incapable of dealing with the complex problems via the Treaty of Versailles. Hyperinflation and political revolts began to affect the country. The sanctions of the treaty placed Germany was in dismay, this offered neighboring European countries the ability to take advantage of Germany.
The British blockade kept all trades away from the Germans, including food (Ghost Liners 124).Yet, when the Germans retaliate, the Americans hate them for it. The Germans received blame for a crime that followed the rules of war blockades. America shames the Germans for killing civilians warned of the possible danger. Finally, the Lusitania allowed for the British to win in a win-win situation that their government
Another Reason the United States got involved was the Zimmerman telegram. It was a telegram that was sent From Germany to Mexico but was intercepted by Great Britain Saying that if Mexico went to war with The United States They Germany Would help them. Germany Also Promised Mexico Lost Territory in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The War Impacted In Different Ways with the most important National Economy Followed by Civil Liberties and Public Attitudes. The economy of the United States really fell; it left America in dept.
Reading this you can see how entering the war was more than just a peace keeping mission as expressed by Wilson in his message to Congress. Although these two pieces differ in the reasoning for America's intervention, they both express the intensity of the situation. Germany was on a rampage, killing anyone who tried to trade with their enemies. Something needed to be done and America was the country that had to do it. These two pieces both have great value with the message to Congress having the most.
France wasn’t part of the colonies like America was, America was sick of being treated badly, and unfairly so they decided to fight. But as for France they were having trouble with their government and needed to create a new one witch they did. And to me it seems like America had much more at stake. The American and French Revolution both worked out in favor of France and for America they both got what they wanted France got the government they fought for, and America parted ways with Britain. The two revolutions were a big part in both America’s history, and a big part in Frances history.
Especially after 1871 and the Franco-Prussian war when the Germans took Alsace-Lorraine from France. The public wanted Germany to pay because almost all families knew someone who had died. Also the government wanted to punish Germany harshly through Clemenceau to be popular with the public.
At the time Germany wanted to overthrow France and Russia, to become more powerful, they knew these two countries were allies so if they attacked one ally the other would come to the rescue. Germany played it smart and attacked France first because they were smaller. In this battle trench warfare was used a lot. Although in some ways this method was useful, the cons overthrew the pros. Some cons were the following: * Death and disease were omnipresent in the trenches.