WWII Origins Document Summaries / OPVLs

Document 3.2 - Hitler's view of the Versailles Treaty

Summary: Hitler believes that the Treaty of Versailles was a tactic to repress Germans from freedom. He believes that the Germans must stand up to the treaty to break from the treachery.

OPVL: This source is from Adolf Hitler's novel Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") written while imprisoned. The purpose of this document is to elaborate his opinions regarding the outcomes of the Treaty of Versailles as well as outline his goals for a powerful Germany of the future. Through this document, Hitler also aims to convince others to unify under his idealism and for affected citizens to get angry about the German struggle post-WWI. The value of this source lies in it's ability to demonstrate Hitler's aims and objectives in his own words. Also, this source accurately shows Hitler's power of persuasion. This source is limited, historically because it lacks perspective or context. This source also is fogged by personal bias and persuasion.

Document 3.4 - Reparations against Germany: an American view

Summary: The document discusses that the magnitude of the reparations were large and created great strain on Germany. The writer believes that due to the severity of the Paris Peace Conference, German psychology has dwindled adding political complications.

OPVL: This source is a written opinion by J. F. Dulles, an American delegate at the Paris Peace Conference. The purpose of this document is to discuss the magnitude of German reparations and the author's opinion regarding the severity. This document is valuable because of it's first hand perspective of the Paris Peace Conference and its outcomes. This source is limited, however, because it does not express the general opinion of an entity, but rather a personal digression. Also, the source lacks historical context and perspective and is written informally and therefore gives less broad of historical insight.