Versilles Treaty Essay, Research Paper

The Treaty of Versailles was intended to be a peace agreement between the Allies and

the Germans. Versailles created political discontent and economic chaos 1in Germany.

The Peace Treaty of Versailles represented the results of hostility and revenge and

opened the door for a dictator and World War II.

November 11, 1918 marked the end of the first World War. Germany had surrendered

and signed an armistice agreement. The task of forming a peace agreement was now in

the hands of the Allies. In December of 1918, the Allies met in Versailles to start on the

peace settlement.2 The main countries and their respective representatives were: The

United States, Woodrow Wilson; Great Britain, David Lloyd George; and France, George

Clemenceau. “At first, it had seemed the task of making peace would be easy”.3

However, once the process started, the Allies found they had conflicting ideas and

motives surrounding the reparations and wording of the Treaty of Versailles. It seemed

the Allies had now found themselves engaged in another battle.

Woodrow Wilson (1856 – 1924), the twenty-eighth President of the United States

(1913 –1921).4 In August of 1914, when World War I began, there was no question

that the United States would remain neutral. “Wilson didn’t want to enter the European

War or any other war for that matter”.5 However, as the war continued, it became

increasingly obvious that the United States could no longer ’sit on the sidelines’.

German submarines had sunk American tankers and the British liner, ‘Lusitania’, in May

1915, killing almost twelve hundred people, including 128 Americans.6 This convinced

Wilson to enter World War I, on the allied side. As the war continued, Wilson outlined

his peace program, which was centered around fourteen main points. “They (fourteen

points) were direct and simple: a demand that future agreements be open covenants of

peace, openly arrived at; an insistence upon absolute freedom of the seas; and, as the

fourteenth point, the formation of a general associat! ion of nations.”7 The fourteen

points gave people a hope of peace and lay the groundwork for the armistice that

Germany ultimately signed in November 1918. Although the United States was

instrumental in ending the war, Wilson was still more interested in a “peace without

victors”8 than annexing German colonies or reparations (payment for war damages).

However, as the Allies began discussions of the peace treaty, the European allies

rejected Wilson’s idealism and reasoning. It soon became increasingly obvious that the

allies were seeking revenge and Germany was destined to be crippled economically and

socially by its enemies.

David Lloyd George (1863 – 1945), who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain (1916 -

1922), governed through the latter part of the war and the early post war years.9

Britain and Germany were, historically, always rivals. Before the war, for instance,

Germany challenged Britain’s famous powerful and unstoppable navy by dramatically

increasing the amount of money spent on their navy. In terms of losses, Britain

absorbed thirty-six percent of the debt incurred by the allies and seventeen percent of

the war’s total casualties.10 After the war, Britain faced tough economic problems.

Their exports were at an all time low due to outdated factories, high tariffs, and

competition from other countries. As a direct result, Britain suffered from high

unemployment, which of course, affected the well being of the country. Britain had its

pride and nationalism stripped. The Treaty of Versailles would provide an opportunity to

seek revenge for their losses. They were also seek! ing annexation of German colonies

in Africa.

Georges Clemenceau (1841 – 1929) was the Premier of France (1906-1909) and

(1917-1920).11 As Britain, France had a rivalry with Germany but the French’s ill

feelings were even more intensive. “Nationalism created tensions between France and

Germany. The French bitterly resented their defeat in the Franco – Prussian War and

were eager to seek revenge. Moreover, they were determined to regain Alsace -

Lorraine.”12 This gave the French the motivation of increasing their military strength

and ultimately, destroying their life-long enemies. During the war, France’s portion of

the war debt amounted to twenty percent. Their loss, in terms of war casualties, was

thirty-three percent.13 Most of the battles were fought on French soil. This resulted in

the destruction of “ten million farm acres, twenty thousand factories and six thousand

public buildings”.14 After the war, France suffered terribly, economically. Inflation and a

deflated French Franc spurned the French to ! take advantage of the armistice.

“Clemenceau wanted revenge as well as security against any future German attack.”15

He also wanted a huge amount of reparations, to annex the coal rich Saar Basin, the

return of Alsace – Lorraine and an independent Rhineland for a buffer zone between

Germany and France.

All the leaders had different opinions and motives regarding the Treaty of Versailles.

Coming to a consensus was difficult. The Treaty had to be revised several times before

the final copy was signed on January 18, 1919. “There was scarcely a section of the

treaty which was not attacked, just as there was scarcely a section of the treaty

which was not attacked.”16 The German’s were reluctant to agree to such harsh terms.

“Even the most humble German was appalled by the severity of the treaty.”17 France

and Britain were both eager to have revenge on Germany but selfishly wanted each

other’s benefits. “Clemenceau pointed out that the British were making no effort to

placate the Germans at the expense of British interests. They offered no proposals to

reduce the number of German ships to be handed over, or to return Germany’s colonies,

or to restore the German Navy, or to remove the restrictions on Germany’s overseas

trade. Instead, it was always at the expense of F! rench interest that concessions

were to be made.”18 Wilson thought both France and Britain were being too vindictive

and unreasonable. The allies used Wilson’s Fourteen Points program to convince

Germany to sign an armistice. However, once Germany complied, these points were

ignored. “The French, for example, had no intention of abandoning what Wilson

castigated as the “old diplomacy,” with its secret understandings and interlocking

alliances.”19 Therefore, in the end, the European Allies, including France and Britain,

received what they wanted from the treaty.

“The actual costs, for Germany, included: the guilt of the entire war and, paying 132

billion gold marks in reparations. Germany also lost one eighth of its land, all of its

colonies, all of its overseas financial assets and limiting their once powerful military.”20

Britain and France would receive large sums of the reparations and German colonies in

Africa as mandates.21 France also received its wishes with Alsace-Lorraine. “France

would recover Alsace-Lorraine outright.”22 However, the main delight for France and

Britain was seeing Germany suffer.

The biggest problem Germany had with Versailles was the war guilt, which was stated

in article 231 of the Versailles Treaty. The Allies were astonished to find this particular

paragraph was the most violently disputed point in the entire treaty. Article 231

stated: “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the

responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the

Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a

consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her

allies.”23 It seems weird that they would treat Germany that way after they too had

been in the war. Fighting and killing were done by both sides but only the Germans

were punished. “If our army and our workmen had known that peace would look like

this, the army would not have laid down its arms and all would have held out to the

end.”24 All Germany became very upset about the whole treaty. “Th! is aroused intense

nationalist bitterness in Germany.”25 The future looked grim and had no cause for

optimism in the near future.

After Versailles was ‘in stone’, Germany became a very weak country, seeking to

avenge the vindictiveness and total lack of empathy shown by the allies. “The German

people could not resist, but, in unanimity, they could still hate.”26 Germany suffered

from great economic problems after the war. They had already lost many lives and

things during the war, but now they were responsible for paying the reparations. The

Germans tried paying their debts by borrowing and printing more money. They were

shocked to find that incredible inflation was the result. “The hardships caused by the

inflation of the 1920’s contributed to the political unrest of Germany after WWI.”27

After the war, Germany became a republic (called the Weimar Republic). The Weimar

Republic had many problems from the very beginning. “Many Germans despised it (the

Republic) because its representatives had signed the hated Versailles Treaty.”28 There

were revolts by both a communism party and a fascism ! party. In the end, the fascists

party was favoured because “they were extreme nationalists, who denounced the

Versailles Treaty and opposed the democratic goals of the Weimar Republic.”29 With

the rise of fascism came the rise of Hitler and his Nazi Party.

Adolph Hitler, of the Nazi Party, preached a racist brand of fascism. His party “kept

expanding, benefiting from growing unemployment, fear of communism, Hitler’s

self-certainty, and the difference of his political rivals.”30 When Hitler became

chancellor in January 1933, he began rebuilding a promising future for Germany.31 He

promised jobs and benefits to all classes of people. Almost all Germans felt compelled to

listen and obey Hitler’s extreme ideas of fascism because for some, he was their last

hope. Hitler knew how to win people’s obedience, through their fears and insecurities.

“Hitler successfully appealed to a Germany that was humiliated by defeat in World War I

and the Treaty of Versailles of 1919.”32 Hitler succeeded and began to regain

Germany’s strength. “Germany was too powerful to be suppressed for long.”33 Hitler

broke many rules contained in the Treaty of Versailles. For example, Hitler sent troops

into the demilitarized Rhineland and the Frenc! h did not respond. This and other

scenarios gave Hitler the incentive to invade other countries and ultimately, invade

Poland and started World War II. With WWII came the dreadful horrors of the

Holocaust. Hitler had ordered the deaths of at least five million Jews.34 Not only did he

orchestrate these mass murders, but he also influenced countless individuals to think

and act in the same disgraceful manner. Hitler may have had sick and shameful ideas

but he certainly knew how to be a manipulative leader. He played on the fears and

insecurities of the people and used their weaknesses to win their loyalty.

In conclusion, The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to represent the peaceful ending

to World War I, however, it became the prelude to another war.

It was originally an effort to restore order and provide a peaceful conclusion to World

War I. The ill feelings and economic upheaval that resulted provided the perfect climate

for Hitler’s dominance, in post-war Germany. The contributors/participants of Versailles

had other motives behind the ‘peace agreement’ other than a peace settlement. Their

selfish actions resulted in, not only the economic hardship of Germany, but inflation and

unemployment in all of Europe. The severity of the reparations contained in this

document set the stage for history to repeat itself. “Therefore, the very way in which

the Treaty of Versailles was forced on the German people stored up the material for the

next round.”35

327