Glencoe World History

Chapter 24: The West Between the Wars, 1919–1939

Web Activity Lesson Plans

Introduction
The Treaty of Versailles redrew the map of Europe and set the stage for a Second World War. In this activity students will learn about the treaty's provisions and the parties' reaction to the treaty, analyzing how the treaty's conditions affected the relationships between European countries.

Lesson Description
Students will go to the firstworldwar.com Web site to read about the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles and discover how its terms led to more discontent among European nations. After answering a series of questions, students will use a web diagram to organize what they've learned and then write an essay explaining how the Treaty of Versailles created conditions that may have caused the Second World War.

1. Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the peace settlement that ended World War I, the European and U.S. response to the treaty, and how it laid the groundwork for World War II.
2. Students will be able to apply what they have learned to write an essay explaining how the Treaty of Versailles created conditions that may have caused the Second World War.

1. The German delegation was "aghast" by the terms of the treaty. It felt that the terms were impossible to meet and were more than the German people could bear. The delegation drafted a lengthy rebuttal to the treaty, but most of its complaints were ignored by the Allies.
2. The British believed that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh.
3. Those who believed that the Treaty of Versailles created the conditions that led to World War II argued that the "punitive terms" of the Treaty of Versailles supported the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Germany, which ultimately led to the outbreak of the Second World War.
4. The Treaty of Versailles "deprived" the German's of approximately 13.5 percent of its 1914 territory, which included the displacement of some seven million people. The treaty also stripped Germany of all of its overseas possessions. The country's army was limited to a maximum of 100,000 men. The treaty also banned German use of heavy artillery, gas, tanks and aircraft. In addition, the German navy was restricted to shipping less than 10,000 tons and it was not allowed to use submarines.
5. Students' essays will vary but should include historical evidence to support their positions. This should include how the Treaty of Versailles set the conditions for the rise of fascism in Italy and the Nazis in Germany.