 In 1978 , Marks re @-@ examined the reparation clauses of the treaty and wrote that " the much @-@ criticized ' war guilt clause ' , Article 231 , which was designed to lay a legal basis for reparations , in fact makes no mention of war guilt " but only specified that Germany was to pay for the damages caused by the war they imposed upon the allies and " that Germany committed an act of aggression against Belgium is beyond dispute " . " Technically , Britain entered " the war and French troops entered Belgium " to honor " the " legal obligation " to defend Belgium under the 1839 Treaty of London and that " Germany openly acknowledged her responsibility in regard to Belgium on August 4 , 1914 and May 7 , 1919 . " Marks also wrote that " the same clause , mutatis mutandis " was incorporated " in the treaties with Austria and Hungary , neither of whom interpreted it as declaration of war guilt . " Wolfgang Mommsen wrote that " Austria and Hungary , understandably paid no attention to this aspect of the draft treaty " . 
