The war is almost over. No, not that one,

or that one. WW1 officially ends sunday when Germany makes it's last reparations payment

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/38/20100929/twl-first-world-war-officially-ends-on-s-6ae0455.html

The First World War will officially end on Sunday when Germany pays off the last of the enormous debt which was set by the Allies 92 years ago.

The final £60 million instalment is part of a £22 billion debt imposed for starting one of the bloodiest conflicts in history will be cleared on what will also be the 20th anniversary of German reunification.

The Allied victors - primarily Britain, France and America set the reparations in 1919's Treaty of Versailles - a peace agreement - as both compensation and punishment for waging the four year war, which left 10 million soldiers dead, and European towns and cities devastated.

Germany's Federal Office for Central Services and Unresolved Property Issues said that the bond issued to pay remaining debts stemming from 'The War To End All Wars' will be written off on 3 October.

Germany's best-selling daily newspaper, Bild, said: "On Sunday the last bill is due and the First World War finally, financially at least, terminates for Germany."

The initial sum agreed upon for war damages in 1919 was 226 billion Reichsmarks, but was later reduced to 132 billion, £22 billion at the time.

However, the bill would have been settled much earlier had Adolf Hitler not refused to pay the reparations during his dictatorship. The bill was also frozen again when West and East Germany split, and renewed again after reunification in 1990.

Most of the war reparations go to private individuals, pension funds and corporations holding debenture bonds

I learn the strangest things on this site.

Like how North and South Korea are, technically, still at war.

Toyman01 wrote: I learn the strangest things on this site.

me as well...

So, they paid it off... does that mean they are clear for another go at it?

I imagine they still have a war payment due for the sequel but knowing that one payment wasn't enough to stop the goose stepping in '39...

Toyman01 wrote: I learn the strangest things on this site.

npr covered it this morning..

It makes my drive less hate filled.. F U Hartford.

ignorant wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: I learn the strangest things on this site.

npr covered it this morning.. It makes my drive less hate filled.. F U Hartford.

If all i had to do today was broadcast the news I may have posted it this morning too but sometimes educating the masses needs to take a back seat to laundry and walking the dog. Tommorow I'll cover the news earlier if Garrison Keillor shows up and keeps the buses running on time and takes my first accident report

Editied for smiley face because someone may take that seriously. As entertaining as it would probably be I don't think i could hand in an accident report written by Mr. Keillor. It would likely have too much backstory and my supervisors like them brief. Edited again because I used the word probably twice and they were directly over each other, I can do better than that.

Wally wrote:

ignorant wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: I learn the strangest things on this site.

npr covered it this morning.. It makes my drive less hate filled.. F U Hartford.

If all i had to do today was broadcast the news I may have posted it this morning too but sometimes educating the masses needs to take a back seat to laundry and walking the dog. Tommorow I'll cover the news earlier if Garrison Keillor shows up and keeps the buses running on time and takes my first accident report Editied for smiley face because someone may take that seriously. As entertaining as it would probably be I don't think i could hand in an accident report written by Mr. Keillor. It would likely have too much backstory and my supervisors like them brief. Edited again because I used the word probably twice and they were directly over each other, I can do better than that.

I do enjoy listening to a good News From Lake Wobegon. Actually, I listen to one nearly every night.

wasn't the whole punitive nature of the Versailles treaty a big part of the reason WWII started? and to ask for the money only after reunification with all its attendant expenses - seems silly. of course, after the pure evil Germany perpetrated in WWII, they're lucky they still have a country.

I spent the day ripping the front out of a grocery store and putting a new one back. No time for the news. Besides with you guys I don't have to wade through all the senseless drivel. Most of y'all don't do drivel.

I save most of my drivel for work

nutherjrfan wrote: wasn't the whole punitive nature of the Versailles treaty a big part of the reason WWII started? and to ask for the money only after reunification with all its attendant expenses - seems silly. of course, after the pure evil Germany perpetrated in WWII, they're lucky they still have a country.

It was a huge factor, in some historians minds. France and Britain really put the screws to them. America... not so much. We forgave a big chunk of the debt when their economy tanked in the 20's and 30's. There were also limits on everything related to the Armed Forces, that sort of thing.

Wikipedia has a good summary of the Treaty. You can browse and see what happened. It is considered by some to be the place to start when detailing causes of WWII...