Treaty of Versailles: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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[[File:HangTheKaiser.png|thumb|Front cover of a book of sheet music entitled "We're Going To Hang The Kaiser Under The Linden Tree"]]

Despite "hang the Kaiser" being a popular slogan of the time, particularly in Britain, the proposed trial of the Kaiser under Article 227 of the Versailles treaty never took place. In spite ofDefying popular British anger at the Kaiser, and the fact that putting the Kaiser on trial was originally a British proposal,{{sfn|Bassiouni|2002|p=268}} Lloyd George refused to support French calls for the Kaiser to be extradited from the Netherlands where he was living in exile. The Dutch authorities refused extradition, and the former Kaiser died there in 1941.{{sfn|Gilbert|1974|p=276}}

Article 228 allowed for the extradition of German war criminals to stand trial before Allied tribunals. Originally a list of as many of 20,000 alleged criminals was prepared by the Allies, however this was later reduced. Following the ratification of the treaty in January 1920, the Allies submitted a request that 890 (or 895) alleged war criminals be extradited for trial. France and Belgium each requested the extradition of 334 individuals including [[Paul von Hindenburg|von Hindenburg]] and [[Erich Ludendorff|Ludendorff]] for the damages they had inflicted on Belgium and the mass deportations they had overseen from both France and Belgium. Britain submitted a list of 94 names, including [[Alfred von Tirpitz|von Tirpitz]] for the sinkings of civilian shipping by German U-boats. Italy's request included 29 names divided between those accused of mistreating prisoners of war and those responsible for U-Boat sinkings. Romania requested the extradition of 41 individuals including [[August von Mackensen|von Mackensen]]. Poland requested 51 people be extradited, and Yugoslavia (successor to wartime Serbia) four. Germany refused extradition, however, claiming that carrying out such a request to extradite people widely regarded as heroes in Germany would likely result in the fall of the government, but made a counter-offer of holding trials at Leipzig, an offer that was ultimately accepted by the Allies.{{sfn|''Current History''|1920|pp=373–380}}{{sfn|Mullins|1921|pp=8–9}}{{sfn|Bassiouni|2002|pp=281–282}}