"As a consequence of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the officer corps of the old army became part of this class, as did that part of the younger generation who, in the old Germany, would have become officers or civil servants"
About this Quote
The subtext is ruthless about how identity works in a defeated nation. In imperial Germany, ambitious young men could anticipate dignity through uniform or bureaucracy. Post-1919, that promise collapses. Stresemann is pointing to “relative deprivation”: the anger of those who feel they were owed a role, not just a wage. They have education, discipline, and networks, but no sanctioned channel for command. That’s combustible.
Context sharpens the intent. Stresemann governed in the Weimar era’s permanent crisis: reparations, hyperinflation, street violence, and competing myths of betrayal. By highlighting officers and future civil servants, he’s warning that Versailles created not only material hardship but a cultural class of resentful strivers primed for anti-democratic politics. It’s a politician’s way of saying: you can’t stabilize a republic while producing surplus authority-seekers with nowhere legitimate to put their hands.
Quote Details
| Topic | War |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Stresemann, Gustav. (2026, January 15). As a consequence of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the officer corps of the old army became part of this class, as did that part of the younger generation who, in the old Germany, would have become officers or civil servants. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/as-a-consequence-of-the-terms-of-the-treaty-of-144071/
Chicago Style
Stresemann, Gustav. "As a consequence of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the officer corps of the old army became part of this class, as did that part of the younger generation who, in the old Germany, would have become officers or civil servants." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/as-a-consequence-of-the-terms-of-the-treaty-of-144071/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"As a consequence of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the officer corps of the old army became part of this class, as did that part of the younger generation who, in the old Germany, would have become officers or civil servants." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/as-a-consequence-of-the-terms-of-the-treaty-of-144071/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
