Questions on German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference - Paper Example

According to the authors of the Germanys Complaint, how will various provisions of the treaty hurt Germanys economy?

According to the authors of the Germanys Complaint, the Versailles Treaty was supposed to unite and bring equality to all parties involved in the World War, belligerents, conquers and the conquered in a system of universal rights (German delegation, 1919). The treaty demanded Germany to acknowledge blame for the war, and it proposed appropriate punishments on the Germans that eventually damaged the country as a whole. In particular, the treaty ensured Germany was in debt to other nations; economic development was to be hampered by canals and railroads ordered to be constructed on Germanys property to be utilized for whatever reason the foreign authorities wanted. Similarly, the countrys rivers were to be managed by the international body, and Germanys delegates could use them, but they would not get priority over other nations (German Delegation, 1919). These provisions led to the deterioration of Germanys economy as it paid huge amounts of money to help other countries rebuild and its resources were taken away and controlled by foreign authorities.

In Germanys view, how would the country have been treated differently if the principles they attribute to President Wilson had been applied?

The principle the authors attributed to President Wilson was that peace was the equality and the common participation in a common benefit (German Delegation, 1919). President Wilson had every intention of this principle being the foundation on which to build the treaty. President Wilsons idea was that with equal rights and peace the economies would recover. If the League of Nations had applied this principle, Germany would not be the only country to be blamed for the war. Similarly, Germanys economy and unity would recover just like other nations in the treaty (German Delegation, 1919). Additionally, Germany would have been invited to join the League of Nations since the League was meant to be a force that brought all the warring nations together to negotiate peacefully.

To what higher fundamental laws does the document appeal to in order to strengthen German assertion?

The higher fundamental laws that the document appeals to in order to strengthen German assertion were the justices that the rules should use. These inalienable rights pertain to the right of self-determination and the right of self-preservation that protect Germany from any harm and destruction and provide it with the ability to control its allegiances without any foreign influence (Finch, 1919). However, the Treaty misuses this power and neglect the natural right of inalienable. The authors of the document express the civil rights, opportunity, and tolerance of the Germans.

Do you agree with the authors of the report that Germany was poorly treated? What response to their complaints might defenders of the treaty have made?

I do agree with the authors of the document that Germany was poorly treated by the Treaty. When the World War I occurred, all countries were affected. Although Germany was partially responsible for the damages in the war, she did not deserve to be bear the blame for the war alone nor the damage brought to it. Even President Wilson agreed with this notion by stating that Germany and all her allies should take responsibility for the war (Finch, 1919). However, the defenders of the treaty would have responded to this complaint by saying that Germany was the major player in the war and thus deserved what she got.

References

(1919). Comment of the Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference on the Condition of Peace. Retrieved from http://college.cengage.com/history/primary_sources/world/conditions_of_peace.htmFinch, G. (1919). The Peace Conference of Paris, 1919. The American Journal of International Law, 13(2), 159.