German WWI Reparations Debt (Versailles Treaty) Vs. Bailout Costs of Greece

by John Boyd, Benzinga Contributor

May 12, 2010 5:06 PM | 1 min read

So here is a chart of the week. This label is "peak Versailles treaty reparations" so I am not certain if that represents the total amount paid as a share of GDP, or the total paid. My guess is that it is the former which makes it seem smaller than it is.

All that said, Germany gets a huge benefit from the "currency drag" from Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Not only does Germany export quite a bit to these countries, but they also benefit from the headwind on the Euro generally. If the Euro was still the German Mark, it would be a good 40-70% higher. Hat tip to Paul Kedrosky for the great chart find.

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