Excerpts from The Treaty of Versailles
ARTICLE 159 The German military forces shall be demobilised and reduced....
ARTICLE 198. The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces.
ARTICLE 231 The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of
Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments
and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of
Germany and her allies.
ARTICLE 232, The Allied and Associated Governments... require, and Germany undertakes, that she will
make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to
their property during the period of the belligerency ...
ARTICLE 233. The amount of the above damage for which compensation is to be made by Germany shall be
determined by an Inter-Allied Commission, to be called the Reparation Commission....
1. Why do historians commonly refer to Article 231 as the "War Guilt Clause"?
2. Who decides the reparations that must be paid after the war? Who must pay reparations?
3. How might articles 231, 232, and 233 create a feeling of resentment among the German people against the
allies following WW !?

Certainly! Here are clear and concise answers to the questions based on the excerpts from The Treaty of Versailles: 1. Historians commonly refer to Article 231 as the "War Guilt Clause" because it placed the sole responsibility for causing all the loss and damage of World War I on Germany and her allies. By accepting this clause, Germany acknowledged guilt for starting the war, which had significant implications on its reputation and future actions. 2. The reparations that must be paid after the war are decided by an Inter-Allied Commission known as the Reparation Commission. Germany is the country obligated to pay reparations for the damage done to the civilian population and property of the Allied and Associated Powers during the belligerency period. 3. Articles 231, 232, and 233 could create a feeling of resentment among the German people against the Allies following World War I for several reasons. Firstly, Article 231, by assigning sole blame for the war to Germany, may have been seen as unjust and humiliating. Additionally, the requirement in Article 232 for Germany to make compensation for damages could be perceived as overly harsh and burdensome. Furthermore, the involvement of the Reparation Commission in determining the amount of compensation in Article 233 might have fueled resentment due to the lack of German representation in the decision-making process. Combined, these factors could have contributed to a sense of injustice and animosity among the German population towards the Allies after the war.