Treaty of Versailles, Fair or Not Fair?

The Treaty of Versailles was unfair to the Germans, even if they did damage and harm things during the war. The Treaty was presented in 1918, but Germany was forced upon agreeing to it by 1919. Forcing this on the Germans did not help the situation, where Germany was already ganged up on, defeated and vulnerable to the allies. Already being in poor condition, the country was expected to reduce it's defense operations, making it in an unhealthy state. Looking back at this, now, Wilson's vow to bring peace and bringing independence to countries seems the base plan of the Allies to bring Germany down for going against the Allies. Using Wilson's fourteen points, the Allies, especially Britain and France, established the harsh Treaty. The bill that Germans had to pay was exceeding, and not helping Germany's economy at that time. All of this, the loss of their pride, fueled to Germany's anger, probably leading to the extermination of Jews. If, this hadn't happened, if they had done that, if, if, if only; these are the things we think of now, things could have been different then. But is done, is done, Germany's desire to eliminate the Jews was most probably formed when Germans were shamed and unhappy about the loses. They had lost all the lands conquered before, just because they lost one war, all the land overpowered from previous victories, from previous times of hard determination was lost. People in German became resentful and hoped for victory, this also happened to be when Hitler was raising. From the shame of the loss, Germans searched for a someone or something to blame on, with Hitlers lead, the blame was pointed to the Jews. But that was only the beginning of new, but horrid, revolution.

Although Wilson's treaty was of good intention, he was blinded by it's light to see the other misfortunes around the world. For Example, Japan's request for a treaty opposing racial discrimination was rejected even when the vow was to bring peace to the world. Racism was actually an major factor during those times, especially with African slave trading happening in the western world. Things that seemed small as such, could have effected the world today in a good way, by helping unite even more nations together. Even though that stage today is almost complete. Also, when Ho Chi Minh a Vietnamese patriotic asked to speak to the Allies, they refused. This put the impression that the Allies might have been saying to help bring peace, but not letting someone address them in a civilized way instead of force might have lead people to think otherwise. Wilson only let Europe overcome the rule of the large empires, but Africa and Asia was still under the dominance of European nations. But today things are different, most of the countries in the world are independent and most don't fight for their own nation, not including Israel, Korea and other countries with the similar problems as them.

Sources:

Map

Treaty Cover

Nazi Flag

By Zarafsha :)

No Man Is an Island

John Donne's Words:

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

The words from 'The Island' by Armin Greder, Jason van Gereden's visual poem, and John Donne's poem all reflect similar text. They all talk about the illusion of difference that humans believe, the discrimination between humans equal to us. The theme of the texts is isolation, and how no man can survive on it's own, we're all connected. The story of how people just make up the differences, without actually understanding them. The beggars on the street are passed without being looked at, or thought of their poor condition. In The Island, Greder showed how 'the stranger' was silenced and labeled as a monster without doing anything at all, showing the fear of difference. But Donne's words lecture about the connection, the similarity that bind us, yet the simple differences put a sea in between " a part of the main".

The Island (Greder) highlights prejudice, as without introduction or anything, the lost man is marked as a threat, a stranger. He's voiceless and powerless, treated like an animal for looking different from the natives of the Island. He's thrown around the village without having as much of say in it, the people of the island dehumanize him and turn their thoughts of him into a monster. The 'otherness' is strong too, on how looks deceive them, separating them, it creates a barrier. The man is taken away because he's an other, someone thats not them, and it's because he comes from elsewhere, he's lost and in poor condition, but still an other. The visual poem also expresses the otherness of the tramps, how their poor quality is ignored by the people passing by. They are segregating themselves from the street beggars by ignoring their 'loathsome' existence. Donne dismisses the idea of isolation, instead promotes togetherness, "every man is a piece of the continent". He conveys that mankind is like a puzzle and every man/piece is needed to finish the whole picture, and every piece connected with each that makes one man's mistake, everyone else's too.

The distinction between the 'us' and 'them' is an instinct made by humans. They are afraid of what 'they' could do, what 'they' might do. Creating barriers just helps the 'us' feel more safe, their afraid of the change that might come from interacting. From Donne's words, it seems all mankind is connected, one man's mistake is yours too, "I am involved in mankind". Discriminating yourselves, also is an act of possession, Greder's book conveys this when none of the villagers wanted 'the stranger' coming in contact with 'their' things, as it might be poison to them. The villagers thought it was best to lock him up, because they were afraid to lose their power and their land. The visual poem tells that underneath every unnoticed homeless person on the street, there's hope of surviving and a story worth listening to. Connecting Donne's word to this, we're responsible for each other, looking after one another, for every man is linked, creating mankind, joining the puzzle together.

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances. ~Wayne W. Dyer

Sources:

The Island: http://openlibrary.org/works/OL9981863W/The_Island

By:

Zarafsha :D