"Germany can generally only pay if the Corridor and Upper Silesia will be handed back to Germany from Polish possession, and if besides somewhere on the earth colonial territory will be made available to Germany"
- Hjalmar Schacht
About this Quote
This quote by Hjalmar Schacht, a German economic expert and politician, is referring to the reparations that Germany was needed to pay after World War I. Schacht is recommending that Germany can only pay the reparations if the Corridor and Upper Silesia, which were drawn from Germany and provided to Poland, are returned to Germany. Additionally, Schacht is suggesting that Germany needs to be given colonial territory in other places worldwide in order to pay the reparations. This quote reflects the tight spot Germany was in after World War I, as it was needed to pay a large sum of cash in reparations, however did not have the resources to do so. Schacht's tip of returning the Corridor and Upper Silesia to Germany, as well as being provided colonial territory, was a way for Germany to pay the reparations without needing to utilize its own resources.
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