Germany's WW1 Territorial Losses

Germany's WW1 Territorial Losses

Losing World War I had dramatic consequences for Germany, as many territories were lost to neighbouring states. While France immediately annexed Alsace and Moselle, regions that had been taken from it by the German Empire in 1871, the Treaty of Versailles that was signed in 1919 confirmed the loss of territories to Poland, Czechoslovakia and Belgium, and created some autonomous territories in the Saar valley and around the cities of Danzig and Memel. Three plebiscites, in Schleswig, East Prussia and Upper Silesia, further confirmed the loss of territories to Denmark and Poland. These territorial losses fueled a deep resentment in the German population, which was exploited by the Nazi party to gain power in 1933. This would ultimately lead to the Second World War, the bloodiest conflict in the history of Europe. More on Germany on Quickworld