<P> The Treaty of Versailles was neither lenient enough to appease Germany, nor harsh enough to prevent it from becoming the dominant continental power again . Germans largely saw the treaty place the blame, or "war guilt", on Germany and Austria - Hungary and punish them for their "responsibility" rather than working out an agreement that would assure long - term peace . The treaty provided for harsh monetary reparations, separated millions of ethnic Germans into neighboring countries, territorial dismemberment, and caused mass ethnic resettlement . In an effort to pay war reparations to Britain and France, the Weimar Republic printed trillions of marks, causing extremely high inflation of the German currency (see Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic). </P> <P> The treaty created bitter resentment towards the victors of World War I, who had promised the people of Germany that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points would be a guideline for peace; however, the US played a minor role in World War I and Wilson could not convince the Allies to agree to adopt his Fourteen Points . Many Germans felt that the German government had agreed to an armistice based on this understanding, while others felt that the German Revolution of 1918--1919 had been orchestrated by the "November criminals" who later assumed office in the new Weimar Republic . </P> <P> The German colonies were taken during the war, and Italy took the southern half of Tyrol after an armistice had been agreed upon . The war in the east ended with the defeat and collapse of Russian Empire, and German troops occupied large parts of Eastern and Central Europe (with varying degree of control), establishing various client states such as a kingdom of Poland and the United Baltic Duchy . After the destructive and indecisive battle of Jutland (1916) and the mutiny of its sailors in 1917, the Kaiserliche Marine spent most of the war in port, only to be turned over to the allies and scuttled at surrender by its own officers . The lack of an obvious military defeat was one of the pillars that held together the Dolchstosslegende ("Stab - in - the - back myth") and gave the Nazis another propaganda tool at their disposal . </P> <P> French security demands, such as reparations, coal payments, and a demilitarized Rhineland, took precedence at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and shaped the Treaty of Versailles by severely punishing Germany; however, Austria found the treaty to be unjust which encouraged Hitler's popularity . Ginsberg argues, "France was greatly weakened and, in its weakness and fear of a resurgent Germany, sought to isolate and punish Germany...French revenge would come back to haunt France during the Nazi invasion and occupation twenty years later ." </P>

What was the main cause of second world war