By the end of World War 1 the Allies, which consisted of France, Italy, Great Britain, and the United States, devised The Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. This was signed at a palace located in Versailles; this is why it is called The Treaty of Versailles. The treaty put the blame of starting World War I directly on Germany. It also brought an end to World War I. The allied powers and Germany signed the treaty, The Treaty of Versailles was also used as a way to punish Germany for starting the war.
The treaty greatly affected the territory of Germany. It took away numerous territories and gave them to surrounding countries. The territory known as Alsace-Lorraine was given to the country of France. Two territories known as Eupen and Malmedy were given to the small country of Belgium. Denmark was the beneficiary of Northern Schleswig. Hultschin became a part of Czechoslovakia. Poland received the most; they got West Prussia, Posen, and Upper Silesia. All of these were once a part of Germany until The Treaty of Versailles was signed.
The military of Germany also took a huge hit from this treaty. The German military HAD to be reduced to a mere 100,000 men. They also could have no tanks, submarines, or have an air force. The German government was hit financially as well. They had to pay for all of the damages that occurred during World War I. The grand total was around 6,600 million Euros. This payment was called the War Guilt Clause. If Germany wanted to have a war, they could pay for what happened. The League of Nations was created with this treaty, however since the United States did not sign the treaty we never joined the League of Nations
I think that The Treaty of Versailles was one of the biggest causes of World War II. I think that this is because Germany was very upset and may have wanted revenge on the countries that tried to hurt them with the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was also upset because they were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. They had no choice but to sign it. I think all of these reasons made Germany’s blood boil and probably lead to World War II.
Sources_
http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/ASLevel_History/week4_versailles.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/treaty_of_versailles.htm
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