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abhatia · Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 37

The Triple Entente nations and the United States' intentions were to extract as they could out of the war reparations as they could, and doing so for their own interests.

carolineskate · Joined: 17 Feb 2011 Posts: 13

It did seem that the Triple Entente nations and the United States wanted to remove themselves from the war reparations a bit and put the blame and guilt on Germany; however, I'm not entirely sure about my opinion on the countries' reactions to Germany. They put a lot of blame on Germany, but I'm not certain I agree or understand if it was to just get out of war reparations, or because they felt strongly about how Germany had acted. Many countries were effected, though Germany wanted (and had a lot of) power in every possible way they could get it. So, it is evident that many people were not huge fans of the war; however, as to the other countries' own interests, they obviously felt strongly about Germany's actions, and felt they needed to address them.

mfaber · Joined: 14 Nov 2011 Posts: 8

I agree that the Allies put a lot of blame on Germany. They expected for her to take on a lot of responsibilty. I do think that Germany was a strong root of the war, meaning that the leaders of Germany did not try at all to stop the war. Instead Germany encouraged the war to happen, which is an initial start to the war. However, Germany was not the only country fighting, killing or even wanting the war to happen. So many countries were involved and they to contributed to making the war happen. So i do think it makes sense for Germany to take most of the blame and responsiblity of the war but i also think that the Allies were enjoying having power over Germany and wanted her to suffer, therfore not blaming any other country but only blaming Germany instead.

bella · Joined: 17 Feb 2011 Posts: 11

It was the intentions of the US and the Triple Entente to extract as much as they could in war reparations to help rebuild and/or strengthen their nations, though both the US and the Triple Entente interests demanded much more from Germany than war reparations.

The US didn't gain much in a material sense from the Treaty of Versailles. Since Germany didn't occupy or destroy any US land, Germany did not need to give them any land as they had not taken any during the war. The US's interests were Wilson's 14 points and not all of those were of any financial benefit to the US. Self-determination, for instance, did not benefit the US, but it was Wilson's intention to spread democratic American values. Free trade, another point on Wilson's list, did benefit the US. War reparations, however, really made no difference to the US. The US wanted to be involved to show that they are a power that should have a say in European affairs. What the really gained for themselves out of the Treaty of Versailles was influence and a world power status.

Russia did not care at all about war reparations. On the brink of revolution, they gave land to Germany and pulled themselves out of equation.

Britain and France, though happy with all the war reparations, also wanted a weak Germany, financially and militarily.

JDinardo · Joined: 14 Oct 2010 Posts: 22

I would say that absolutely the Triple Entente countries and the U.S. wanted to milk the treaty for all it was worth and get the best possibly deal for themselves. They took literally everything from Germany, and Germany alone, and then told them they could not have a consequential army anymore. I have to agree with the article we read saying that Germany was unfairly blamed in this war and cast as devils and I think that this was a brilliant move in that it allowed the Triple Entente and the U.S. to be unhindered in extracting whatever they wanted from Germany, and escape being called greedy or unfair for being exactly that. I am actually surprised that Austria-Hungary was not mentioned in this treaty as it looked like their army was almost completely defeated during the course of the war and I would have thought they would have been fined as well.

wlotas2013 · Joined: 14 Nov 2011 Posts: 20

I would say the sheer brutality of the war is enough reason to completely dismantle a country, no matter the victor. This is something I'm sure no one wanted to see again, despite the magnitude of the profit made by the US. Although when a country feels financially exploited for no reason, this creates resentment which ultimately leads to another dispute. At the time, the treaty may have seemed like a good deterrent for Germany to take action again, when really, it just multiplied the tension.

operaman667 · Joined: 14 Nov 2011 Posts: 9

At the end of the war, Germany was blamed immensely by other countries for the casualties that resulted from the war. Even though the Triple Entente seemed to impose that Germany take part in extreme war reparations, it soon became clear that the US didn't really need extracted reparations as much as other countries. As a result, the Treaty of Versailles was a way that the US could possibly profit from the present misfortune.

stone · Joined: 14 Nov 2011 Posts: 5

Obviously, each and every nation has the goal of going the furthest to fulfill its own interest. However, even though the intention may be to extract for the nations' interest, I do not believe any nation on the winning side actually benefitted from the war reparation. The lives lost and the severe damage done on the morality of the generation cannot be retrieved by mere reparation.

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