Part 13/15:
By late 1921, financial experts from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy recognized the dire prospects. Their discussions bleakly warned that Germany faced imminent insolvency if current trends persisted. The government was already owing over 113 billion marks in reparations due in February 1922, while its income fell far short of obligations. Observers like Minister Walter Rathenau highlighted the absurdity of grappling with astronomical figures—billion, trillion, and beyond—without grasping their true meaning or real-world implications.