ABSTRACT
The Treaty of Versailles, which dealt with Germany, was signed on 28 June 1919. In summary, it affirmed, by Article 231, the responsibility of ‘Germany and her Allies’ for the outbreak of the First World War and, accordingly, made provision for territorial adjustments, demilitarization and economic compensation to the victorious Allies for the losses which they had incurred. Germany was relieved of Alsace-Lorraine, Eupen and Malmedy, Northern Schleswig, Posen, West Prussia, parts of Southern Silesia, and all her overseas colonies. Limits were placed on her naval capacity, her army was restricted to 100,000 volunteers, and the Rhineland was demilitarized. A considerable quantity of rolling stock and merchant shipping was also removed, while France was given exclusive rights to the coal mines of the Saar region. Finally, provision was made for the payment of reparations by the German government, the amount eventually being fixed in 1921 at 136,000 million gold marks. Altogether, it has been estimated, Germany lost 13 per cent of her area, 12 per cent of her population, 16 per cent of her coal, 48 per cent of her iron, 15 per cent of her agricultural land and 10 per cent of her manufactures.
