How did the Treaty of Versailles impact Germany?
A card-sorting activity for KS4 or KS5 students on how the terms of the Treaty of Versailles affected Germany in the years following the First World War.
The cards contain information about the following terms of the Treaty:
- the reductions to the German army and navy
- the ban on the import and export of arms, and the limits on their production
- the demilitarisation of the Rhineland
- the loss of land in Europe, and of overseas colonies
- the high level of reparations
- the German people’s resentment of the War Guilt Clause.
Students sort the cards three times:
- firstly, according to which of the Big Three influenced that term of the peace settlement the most
- secondly, into impacts on the German economy, impacts on the German military and impacts on German pride
- thirds, according to whether they think the terms were fair or unfair to Germany
and make a record of their decisions.
This activity could follow on from the lesson Who were the Big Three and how did they affect the Treaty of Versailles?
The information from one of the cards:
Germany had to hand over 70,000 square kilometres of land to the Allies − this was 10% of all European land. The Allies shared this land out amongst countries within Europe. For example, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France (the Germans had taken it from France in 1871), West Prussia and Posen were given to Poland, and Eupen and Malmedy were given to Belgium. This was supposed to make Germany weaker and make other European countries stronger. This would help to prevent Germany invading its European neighbours in future years. Germany had lost its richest farmlands (West Prussia) and the Saar coalfields.
