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Why did the Treaty of Versailles abolish the German general staff?
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Treaty of Versailles
The “Big Four” (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles mandated the dissolution of the German general staff because the Allied powers viewed this military command structure as the primary engine of German aggression.12
By dismantling the general staff, the Allies aimed to ensure that Germany would not be able to revive its status as a military power. This measure was part of a broader set of disarmament provisions intended to limit Germany's army to 100,000 men and prohibit the production of offensive weaponry such as tanks, poison gas, and military aircraft.12