Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles, signed at the end of World War I, ultimately failed at its intended goal of promoting world peace. In reality, the treaty increased tensions, particularly in Germany, during the inter-war years. The treaty placed the responsibility for World War I entirely on Germany and included what are known as the "war guilt" clauses. These clauses stated that Germany was required to pay reparations of more than $11 billion to the Allied countries for the damage caused during the war. The German military was also to be stripped to no more than 100,000 troops, and the manufacture of tanks, submarines, and military aircraft was to be prohibited. Of these 100,000 troops, a large percentage was required to be mounted police. The idea behind these clauses was the prevention of another world conflict by dismantling Germany’s ability to make war.
Many people felt that the restrictions against Germany were punitive to the point of being cruel. The German government claimed in 1923 it could no longer afford the reparations payments required by the Versailles treaty. Though the German government attempted to pay its debts by printing more money, this simply led to hyperinflation. Inflation can be out of control and will result in increasing prices and decreasing value in currency. By August of 1923, the German mark was almost worthless, with one million marks equaling approximately one U. S. dollar. In addition, though the economy recovered somewhat in the late 1920s, the beginning of the Great Depression in 1930 spelled disaster for Germany. As a result of the depression, the unemployment rate in Germany rose to nearly 30% by 1932, meaning approximately 6 million Germans were without work.
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Which sentence could be added to the second paragraph to support the idea that the treaty was "punitive to the point of being cruel"?
A.
All European nations agreed to disarm following the end of World War I, but Germany's military was restricted the most.
B.
The League of Nations was created from the treaty to be an international peace keeping organization.
C.
In fact, the monetary clauses alone caused near economic collapse for Germany in the early 1920s.
D.
The United States declined to sign the treaty because it did not want to become involved in future European wars.