In a market without price controls, market pressures push prices toward 1.shortage prices
2.equilibrium prices
3.surplus prices_.

The correct answer is 2.

When markets are allowed to freely fluctuate, prices tend to the equilibrium, the quantities supplied and demanded are equal and the market is cleared.

If the supply of a certain good drops due to a natural disaster, for example, there is an excess of demand and therefore there is a subsequent price increase, so that many consumers refuse to demand such product at a more expensive price, and the price rise continues until demand and supply are equaled again forming a new equilbrium.

When price controls are established, natural market movements are distorted. There are two situations:

this means that germany had to pay the allied countries. reparations are/is essentially payment for something that they have done wrong, so after ww1, germany was forced to pay reparations so they could replenish the allied countries resources' that they had lost during the war.

definitely a for sure. ill see and update if i get the answer