The fear of that menace strongly influenced the French policies during the negotiations at Paris.

In fact it was hard to avoid the feeling that this fear dominated the conduct of the French delegates and the attitude of their Government.

They demanded much, and recognizing the probable effect of their demands on the German people sought to obtain special protection in case their vanquished enemy attempted in the future to dispossess them by force of the land which he had been compelled to surrender or attempted to make them restore the indemnity paid.
Whether France could have avoided the danger of German attack in the future by lessening her demands, however just they might be, is neither here nor there.

It makes little practical difference how that question is answered.

The important fact is that the settlements in favor of France under the Treaty were of a nature which made the continuance of peace between the two nations doubtful if Germany possessed the ability to regain her military strength and if nothing was done to prevent her from using it.