Treaty of Versailles: coal reparations from Germany to Belgium, France and Italy

Part VIII of the Treaty of Versailles dealt with the reparations owed by Germany to the Allied powers of the First World War. Although the treaty did not specify the final numbers owed by the German government (which was left to the Reparations Commission), it did include the amount of coal that Germany was instructed to pay to Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg annually over a ten year period. Although Belgium was to receive eight million tons of German coal per year, the largest amount was to go to France. While France's fixed figure was just seven million tons per year, the German government was also required to give France the difference of how much coal was produced in the Nord and Pas de Calais region, and how much would have been there had much of the area not been destroyed in the war (although never in excess of twenty million tons). In addition to this, specifications were also made for benzol, coal tar and sulfate of ammonia reparations to be paid to France. Italy received an average of 7.7 million tons per year, (although the first five installments differed in quantity), while Germany was ordered to pay Luxembourg an equal amount to their annual pre-war consumption.