Treaty of Versailles

It was signed on June 28th 1919 as an end to the First World War, The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to ensure a lasting peace by punishing Germany and making a League of Nations to solve diplomatic problems. But, instead of that, it left political and geographical difficulties which have often been blamed, for starting the Second World War.

The First World War has been fought for four years when, on November 11th 1918, Germany and the Allies signed an armistice. The Allies soon join to discuss the peace treaty they would sign, but Germany and Austria-Hungary weren't invited; instead they were only allowed to present an answer to the treaty, a response which was largely ignored. Instead terms were made mainly by the ‘Big Three’: British Prime Minister Lloyd George, French Prime Minister Frances Clemenceau and US President Woodrow Wilson.

THE BIG THREE

• Woodrow Wilson: Wanted a 'fair and lasting peace' and had written a plan (the Fourteen Points) to achieve this. He wanted the armed forces of all nations reduced, not just the losers, and a League of Nations created to be sure that there would be peace.
• Frances Clemenceau: Wanted Germany to pay dearly for the war, including being taken from land, industry and their armed forces. He also wanted heavy reparations.
• Lloyd George: While he agreed with Wilson, he was affected by public opinion in Britain which agreed with Clemenceau.

It was an almost impossible task, with the need to pay debts with German cash and goods, but also to restore the pan-European economy; the need to sate territorial demands, many of which were included in secret treaties, but also allow self-determination and deal with growing nationalism; the need to remove the German threat, but not humiliate the nation and breed a generation intent on revenge, all while mollifying voters.

Reactions and Results

• Germany lost 13% of its land, 12% of its people, 48% of its iron resources, 15% of its agricultural production and 10% of its coal. Britain and France felt the treaty was fair (they actually wanted harsher terms imposed on the Germans) but the United States refused to ratify it because they didn't want to be part of the League of Nations.
• The map of Europe was redrawn with consequences which, especially in the Balkans, remain to the modern day.
• Numerous countries were left with large minorities groups: there were three and a half million Germans in Czechoslovakia alone.
• The League of Nations was fatally weakened without the United States and its army to enforce decisions.
• Many Germans felt unfairly treated, after all they had just signed an armistice, not a unilateral surrender, and the allies hasn't occupied deep into Germany.