Laurentia
I have heard that view and also the argument that proportionally the reparations were no higher than the ones Germany demanded from France after 1970. Does anyone actually have any figures as to how they compare?
I think some reparations are unavoidable. The war was so long and destructive and also involved so many people that the 'winners' had to get some pay-back from the defeated powers, which basically meant Germany. Putting it loosely it was either 'hang the Kaiser' or be hung, or at least dismissed by their own electorates. Too many people and too much emotion had been invested in defeating the central powers. Coupled with the fact that as Turtle and HeavyWeaponsGuy said the Germans made too big a rod for their own back by their wanton destruction of sites and materials as they withdrew.
Whether they could, or should, be a lower level depends on the circumstances. I don't think a lower level would have made much difference to the feeling of the hard right 'nationalists' in Germany who would have objected to any payment but it might have made the governments more willing to pay the amounts rather than the devastating inflation that was generated instead.
Steve
Hi,
no, this is not true.
germany got a lot reperations in 1871... and this helped the german industry... but the biggest difference was the time the germans could pay the money back (beside the sums)
in 1871 the french had to pay the sum - if they could pay it earlier, it was okay
also, the idea of 1871 was punishment but not to destroy the french industry or the nations ability to improve itself
in 1918 the sums were so high, that germany could not pay the money without being crippled.
also the germans should pay 40-50 years...
so you have 1.) a sum per year a strong nation is in trouble to pay and b.) they forbid em to pay more - if they can pay more faster...
most important is, that the whole thing was made exactly in a way that germany could not really pay the money (so b.) isn´t really important, but still show the real idea behind it)
also, the french and brits are so deeply in the hand of the usa they need this money to pay them.
the most important thing: they wanted the money in gold.... but the germans had not much gold, so they need to rent it - from the usa...
so, germany need money from the usa to pay the french and brits so they can give this gold back to the usa... fine for everybody - without germany - but only as long as the germans can pay - but they can´t with a big part of its industry (upper slesia) is taken away...
that is the true point behind the reperations...
so, if germany do not damage one tree in belgium or france it still will be forced to pay so much money