Chapter I. Effectives and Cadres of the German Army
Article 159
The German military forces shall be demobilised and reduced as prescribed hereinafter.
Article 160
(1) By a date which must not be later than 31st March 1920, the German Army must not comprise more than seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of cavalry.
After that date the total number of effectives in the Army of the States constituting Germany must not exceed one hundred thousand men, including officers and establishments of depots. The Army shall be devoted exclusively to the maintenance of order within the territory and to the control of the frontiers.
The total effective strength of officers, including the personnel of staffs, whatever their composition, must not exceed four thousand.
(2) Divisions and Army Corps headquarters staffs shall be organised in accordance with Table No. 1 annexed to this Section.
The number and strengths of the units of infantry, artillery, engineers, technical services and troops laid down in the aforesaid Table constitute maxima which must not be exceeded.
The following units may each have their own depot:
- An Infantry regiment;
- A Cavalry regiment;
- A regiment of Field Artillery;
- A battalion of Pioneers.
The maintenance or formation of forces differently grouped or of other organisations for the command of troops or for preparation for war is forbidden.
The Great German General Staff and all similar organisations shall be dissolved and may not be reconstituted in any form.
The officers, or persons in the position of officers, in the Ministries of War in the different States in Germany and in the Administrations attached to them, must not exceed three hundred in number and are included in the maximum strength of four thousand laid down in the third sub-paragraph of paragraph (1) of this Article.
Articles 161 to 163 concern themselves with the numbers of civilian support staff, customs officers, forest guards, coastguards, gendarmes and employees or officials of the local or municipal police that can be recruited, a ban on them being given military training, and how the German Army will be reduced in strength to the levels laid down in Article 160.
Chapter II. Armament, Munitions and Material
Articles 164 to 172 relate to the numbers and types of weapons that the German Army may hold and have manufactured for their use.
Chapter III. Recruiting and Military Training
Article 173
Universal compulsory military service shall be abolished in Germany.
The German Army may only be constituted and recruited by means of voluntary enlistment.
Article 174
The period of enlistment for non-commissioned officers and privates must be twelve consecutive years.
The number of men discharged for any reason before the expiration of their term of enlistment must not exceed in any year five percent of the total effectives fixed by the second subparagraph of paragraph (1) of Article 160 of the present Treaty.
Article 175
The officers who are retained in the Army must undertake the obligation to serve in it up to the age of forty-five years at least.
Officers newly appointed must undertake to serve on the active list for twenty-five consecutive years at least.
Officers who have previously belonged to any formations whatever of the Army, and who are not retained in the units allowed to be maintained, must not take part in any military exercise whether theoretical or practical, and will not be under any military obligations whatever.
The number of officers discharged for any reason before the expiration of their term of service must not exceed in any year five percent of the total effectives of officers provided for in the third sub-paragraph of paragraph (1) of Article 160 of the present Treaty.
Articles 176 to 179 relate to the number of military academies and schools that are permitted, the ban on educational establishments, universities, societies of discharged soldiers, and shooting or touring clubs indulging in any form of military training, the ban on planning for mobilisation, and the prohibition of members of the German armed forces from serving abroad within or as trainers of foreign armies. (It is interesting to note that under the terms of the treaty, Germans were still permitted to join the French Foreign Legion!)
Article 180 concerns itself with dismantling of existing fortifications within fifty kilometres of the Rhine and a ban on the construction of new fortifications within that area. It is interesting to note that this ban did not extend to the southern and eastern frontiers of Germany, where fortifications were to 'be maintained in its existing state'.
You know, I have long thought that the articles of the Versailles Treaty were intended to humiliate Germany. But what the text tells me is that the Allied nations were very, very frightened of Germany. Methinks they fell between the stools of obliterating Germany outright, and achieving some proper kind of rapprochement, in which Germany, though chastened, retained an equitable place within the community of nations.
ReplyDeleteFrance and Britain fashioned a rod for their own backs.
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteThe Versailles Treaty was a humiliation for Germany, and laid the foundations for the resentment that made the rise of the far right possible.
Perhaps rendering Germany incapable of waging war in the future - as was suggested after Workd War II - might have been a better answer, but with the eastern frontier with Poland lacking definition, and the Soviets threatening an invasion of Poland (and then possibly Germany), the western powers were unlikely to leave Germany defenceless, as they would then have to step in to defend them.
Another interesting 'what if?'.
All the best,
Bob
A rod for the whole world’s back l would venture.
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
DeleteUnfortunately, very true ... but it's difficult to see what else they could have done in the circumstances.
All the best,
Bob