The Treaty of Versailles

Thesis: The peace treaty that resulted from World War 1 was not too harsh of a punishment for the offenses committed.

1. According to the authors of Germany’s complaint. The various provisions of the treaty hurt Germany’s economy by forcing Germany to accept full responsibility for the damages caused not only by the Germans but also by everyone associated with them and the damage that was caused. As stated in the article, Comments of the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 President Wilson recognized in his speech of 1916 “no single fact caused the war, but that in the last analysis the whole European system is in a deeper sense responsible for the war, with its combination of alliances and understandings, a complicated texture of intrigues

The first World War had devastated the balance of the 20th century with effects still felt today. The war had obliterated once powerful imperial dynasties, birthed new states from the fallen imperial powers, supported the idea of independence in European colonies, and led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Yet, it brought hope to the newly independent territories and minority groups, while plunging a heavy recession to countries that were once world powers. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers (German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire, and the Russian Empire) and the signage of the Versailles Treaty. This treaty along with the League of Nations was created to prevent another global crusade from happening again, but failed and led to World War II, which started only twenty years after the Treaty of Versailles was endorsed. And even with end of the Great War, it was evident that the world would never return to how it once was, four years earlier, in 1914. The destructive warfare brought out several unnerving and irreversible social and economic consequences that shook modern society for decades to come.

Treaty of Versailles: The treaty of Versailles was imposed on Germany on June 28 1919 by the Allies. France, Great Britain, the United States and the other allies demanded that Germany dismantled their military, only allowing a token army and navy and forbidding them an Air Force. Germany had to give up some of its lands to reconstitute Poland, and accept military occupation in its remaining territories. The treaty also contained a “Guilt Clause” required that Germany accept responsibility and promise to pay reparations to compensate the victors for their losses, but no amount or period of time was set for this clause.

Treaties are formally concluded and ratified agreement between countries which are solutions to solve bigger problems. Most of them contain promising resolutions, but sometimes they do not succeed in solving the conflict. When a treaty does not encompass the smart solution, the problem can deteriorate. The Treaty of Versailles did not achieve its intended purpose which led to further suffering, conflict, and combat.

One of the most important documents ever, The Treaty of Versailles was proposed to be a peace settlement between the victorious Allies and the defeated Germans at the outcome of World War I. The document was a major disaster and did not serve any of the purposes it was drawn for. The harsh provisions of the treaty along with its unfair orders to Germany led to the worlds most horrific leader come to power and also set the platform for another war. The treaty became a worldwide example of history how greed and injustice can lead to disasters no one thought possible.

World War II ended in 1945, but it affected so many people that it is taught in schools; the thought of having another World War is terrifying. Imagine having the world thrown into that much chaos, causing so much destruction again. To avoid another World War people need to learn what caused them.

The Great War, or World War One as we know it today, was only the beginning of significant international tensions that remain to this day. Casualties between the Central and Allied Powers totaled more than seventeen million-unheard of in wars up to this point in history. The Treaty of Versailles was agreed upon at the end of the war to prevent such horror from reoccurring. However, poor foreign policy choices, especially on the part of the United States, have had effects that are still visible today.

At a time where World War 1 was turned to be too overwhelming, a way of ending World War 1 was necessary. The solution was to create and sign a treaty from each of the Allies, in order ensure world-peace in the future; an intention to avoid any more World Wars or other related disasters. This treaty was signed in Versailles (hence the name came from), and enforced by the leaders of France, Britain, The United States of America and Italy. The big four’s (the world leaders that signed the treaty) names were Woodrow Wilson (from the USA), George Clemenceau (from France), Vittorio Orlando (from Italy), and David Loyd-George (from Britain).

After WWI, to prevent another world war as devastating, the four allied powers (USA, Great Britain, Italy, and France) negotiated on a treaty that would determine the future of Germany after WWI. “The treaty, negotiated between January and June 1919 in Paris, was written by the Allies with almost no

The failure of the Treaty of Versailles in the United States Senate was due to both the opposition of the treaty in liberal and conservative forces, as well as Woodrow Wilson’s stubbornness and incompetence when deciding the final version of the treaty with imperialism, German restrictions, and the League of Nations. As World War I began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, igniting a conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary that snowballed into a war with Great Britain, France, and Russia against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. When the war was over, the Treaty of Versailles needed to be discussed between the Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. The European demands from the war were fueled by revenge, and their imperialism countered Wilson’s apparent morality. Although isolationists and Republicans desired to influence the treaty, Wilson had accepted the European demands, and even after altering the treaty for European gain, he disallowed the treaty from passing twice in the Senate after Henry Cabot Lodge added reservations. Wilson’s influence on the Senate and the Treaty of Versailles led to its defeat in the United States and ultimately the US absence in the League of Nations.

After The Great War, the citizens of Germany looked for a new hope. The Treaty of Versailles wrecked the German state and morale seemingly beyond repair with its harsh terms of negotiation. Of course, the German people expected some reparations to be demanded, but they were shocked when the meeting of the Allied Powers at the Paris Peace Conference resulted in the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, a harsh, demanding cry of retaliation. The Treaty of Versailles effectively forced the return of all lands taken during the war to their rightful governments, including all overseas colonies, which meant a loss of a symbol of world power status. Most of these demands for land return were unsurprising to the German people, yet still they took a toll on the German morale. To further damage Germany’s power, the Treaty also called for a mass disarmament of the German military. Though promised that this was “merely a first step in a worldwide process of disarmament”, the German army and navy were severely reduced, and their ability to produce military weaponry and submarines was greatly restricted. Yet, even these harsh plans to reduce German power did not have the greatest effect on German confidence. The most damaging portions of the Treaty of Versailles were its honor clauses. These allowed individuals to be tried as war criminals and, even more injurious, established in writing that Germany was guilty for the majority of violence and aggression during the war and called for

The Treaty of Versailles was a treaty created and signed to bring peace to the world after the war. The Treaty started being written in January 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference, and was authored by ‘The Big Three’. ‘The Big Three’ was an allied group who consisted of France, Britain and the USA. The French President was George Clemenceau, the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the American President was Woodrow Wilson. All three leaders were influential men who wanted to exert their power upon the treaty. It was a long 7 months before the treaty was signed. It was signed by the allies with Germany being a reluctant signatory. Germany felt that the treaty was created to force revenge upon them and put her to shame. Germany felt this way due to unfairness and demanding content in the war guilt clause. On the other hand, Woodrow Wilson was striving for world peace through the establishment of the League of Nations. But was the treaty really designed for the peace of the world or for the revenge of Germany?

World War I was ultimately ended in 1918 after the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Peace settlements were signed on June 28, 1918 at the Hall of Mirror in Versailles, Paris. The Treaty was an agreement among the United States, Great Britain, and France. Woodrow Wilson, George Clemenceau, and David Lloyd, who represented the "Big Three" countries, collaborated in negotiating the Treaty. The Treaty of Versailles was designed to weaken Germany and give Germany full blame for causing the war. The Treaty implemented massive reparations to Germany which would obliterate Germany's economy, notwithstanding the millions of dead allied soldiers. The settlement strictly limited the German's military. Germans were

The Treaty of Versailles agreed upon in 1919 set in motion events that would be direct causes of World War II. According to Robert Cowley, the treaty stripped Germany of many territories, including Eupen-Malmeacutedy, given to Belgium, Alsace-Lorraine to France, large amounts of eastern lands to Poland, the Memel region to Lithuania, and most of the Schelswig area of the Danish peninsula to Denmark. Germany lost all of her overseas colonies as well. It also forced Germany to limit their army to 100,000 men, and forbade them certain types of weapons common to modern armies. The worst part of all was that Germany was made to assume all the guilt for the war, and forced them to pay an amount of war reparations unspecified at first, then set around 33 billion gold marks(Cowley). “World War One: Treaties” says that the peace terms imposed upon the defeated countries, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria, seemed to them to be unfair and unjust punishments.