100 Years ago...
Germans accept the Allies' debt terms
May 11, 1921
With only a few hours to go before the expiry of the Allied ultimatum, the German Government has finally agreed to pay the war reparations. The issue had threatened to precipitate a crisis because of the vehement and well known opposition by several Ministers from right-wing parties and their resignation would have brought down the Government. At the last minute their parties gave them special dispensation to stay.
It was pragmatic fudge because, although the reparations deal, which included disarmament and the trial of war criminals, was very unpopular with the German people, there was never any realistic hope of resisting it. Failure to agree would have simply meant and Allied occupation.
Article from "Chronicle of the 20th Century" ISBN 1 872031 80 3