Answer:Article 231, better known as the war guilt clause, was the first article in the section dedicated to reparations within the Treaty of Versailles, which put an end to the First World War, in which the Empire faced German and the Allied and Associated Powers. The word "guilt" was not used in the wording of the article, but it served as the legal basis for forcing Germany to pay war reparations.
The article was one of the most contentious points of the treaty. It specified the following:
The Allied and Associated Governments declare, and Germany acknowledges, the responsibility of Germany and her Allies for having caused all damages and losses to which the Allied and Associated Governments have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed on them by the aggression of Germany and its allies.
Germany took this clause as a national humiliation, since it forced it to assume full responsibility for the start of the war. German politicians expressed their rejection in an attempt to garner international sympathy, while German historians worked to undermine the article with the aim of undermining the treaty as a whole. Allied leaders were surprised by the German reaction, since they saw the clause as the mere legal basis for obtaining compensation at the hands of Germany. The article, after a change in the name of the signatories, was also included in the treaties signed by the Central Powers, who did not view the clause with the same contempt as the Germans. American diplomat John Foster Dulles—one of the two editors—later regretted using such terms, as he believed they offended the German population too much.
In general, historians agree on the fact that neither responsibility nor guilt was attached to the article. Instead, the clause was a prerequisite to allow, on a legal basis, the reparations payments to be demanded. Historians also underline the damage that the clause unintentionally caused, since it imbued the German population with anger and resentment.
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