How was the treatment of Germany following World War 1 different of that followi

Question:treaty of versaille vs. post world war 2

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: treaty of versaille vs. post world war 2

The primary difference was that after the First WW, the victorious allies attempted to hold Germany responsible for the costs of the war, and demanded that Germany pay "reparations" to the Allies, to pay them back for the economic damage done by the war. This led to the economic collapse of Germany between the wars and also led to conditions that were favorable to the development of totalitarianism, in the form of Hitler and the Nazis.

After the Second WW, almost the opposite took place. The victorious Allies made every effort to help rebuild Germany and to re-establish a strong government and a strong economy (this was true in West Germany in particular, in East Germany the Soviets were not quite so forgiving). The Allies used vast amounts of economic aid (under a program called the Marshall Plan) to rebuild German industry and infrastructure.

In a sense, this was a reflection of a different philosophy regarding who was actually responsible for the war. After the First WW, the allies essentially tried to hold the entire German nation responsible for the war. After the Second WW, they only held the leaders of Germany responsible, not the entire nation.

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