Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was called together at the close of World War 1. WW1 was meant to be the War that would end all wars. This, as we all know, is far off from its intended mark. The Treaty’s goals would be to try and rebuild Europe and end the remaining conflicts that had arisen with the start of World War 1.

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.

President Woodrow Wilson had a set of 14 points that he wanted to be enacted for the Treaty. The fourteen points ensured that basically everything would go back to normal with a few changes. Nearly all of Wilson's points were rejected and a different form of the Treaty was made. This Treaty made Germany pay. Germany had to pay $33 billion, basically give up all of its military power, and admit that it had full responsibility in starting the War.

This last point was a major slap in the face to Germans, because, as we all know, Germany did not start the war, Serbia did. When Hitler rose to power 20 years later, he used the Treaty of Versailles to gain a lot of sentiment from his German followers.

The Treaty of Versailles: America enters the war and we are a powerhouse against our enemies. The US helping to win the war brought about the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty took place in the Versailles Palace. Hitler blamed the Treaty to be the cause of German inflation and Germany starting World War 2. The Treaty hit the German economy hard. Many countries, but Russia, were invited to the Treaty. The Big Four were the four biggest countries that attended. The US, GB, France, and Italy were the big four. Wilson represented the US. Russia was not invited because they had become a communist country. Russia lost a lot of land because of the Treaty.

The land that had been previously controlled by a few large countries was broken up into many new smaller countries. Wilson wanted the Treaty to be made up of a 14 point list of situations.

1. An end to secret treaties.
2. Freedom of the seas.
3. Free trade for all countries.
4. Disarmament.
5. End to colonial claims.
6. Self-determination for all countries.
7. Restoration of Belgium.
8. Restoration of France.
9. Readjustment of Italy's boundaries.
10. Austria-Hungary would be given opportunity for autonomous development.
11. Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated and restored.
12. Turkey should be sovereign.
13. Poland would be given their independence.
14. The "League of Nations" would be developed.

The Germans were really hopeful all of these points to be the Treaty, but unfortunately this did not happen. The final Treaty forced Germany to surrender a lot of its land to other countries like Belgium, Denmark, and France. The German Military had to be reduced to no more than 100,000 troops, they could have no tanks, navy, or war planes. Germany could have no more than 6 capital naval ships.

Germany had to pay $33 Billion total to Great Britain and France. Germany fell into a complete depression. Germany was forbidden to join Austria to form one super state. Germany was forced to admit that it had full responsibility for starting the War. It was called the “War Guilt Clause”. This in and of itself was the biggest slap in the face to the Germans, because, as we all know, Serbia started the War, not Germany.

The Rhineland and 50 kilometers east of the Rhine River became a demilitarized area. No German soldier or a single weapon could be in this area and the Allies were able to keep occupation on the west bank area of Germany for up to 15 years or more.

The League of Nations was eventually set up to keep world peace. We did not join this league. The League of Nations was made up basically of five permanent members. Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan. Because the US did not join, the League lacked a lot of credibility and soon failed. About the only country that came out of the War feeling good and strong was Japan. They did pretty well.

Congress back home was very resentful of joining the League of Nations. They did not want us to be constantly at war over in Europe or to be second to any other country. They wanted the US to be back to our old Isolationism ways. This was perhaps the biggest error in world history because we very well could have prevented World War 2.

I think that the Treaty of Versailles was a big cause for World War 2. The other nations brought Germany low and then kicked them while they were down. The majority of Germans during WW1 were regular, ordinary citizens who got caught up in the war along with the rest of the world. Germany, along with many other neighboring countries, saw the War as an opportunity to expand. Germany was using the War to fight other countries and claim their lands. This would have been bad if they were the only ones doing it, but they weren’t. The Big Four and other countries United in their own allied leagues to profit from the war.

Had the Treaty of Versailles followed all of Wilson’s plans, and perhaps with a few modifications, I believe that Germany would not have sympathized with Hitler as he began to rise in political power. Hitler used the resentment that the Germans had towards the other nations. It was not Germany’s fault that started the War, yet they were forced to admit it.

Germany isn’t the only nation that would take offense to such an accusation. Germany should also not have been forced to pay all $33 billion at once but over a gradual time so that they would not fall into a depression. During that depression, it was more cost effective to burn the paper money for warmth than to use the money for purchases. That is how useless their money was.

As you can see, Hitler was a brilliant man in his followers' eyes who promised a new age of prosperity for the Germans who could live in a beautiful new world if they should follow him. Hitler used the Treaty of Versailles as a catalyst to remind Germany of the wrongs that they had endured because of WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles.

Personally I think that Germany really wasn’t in the wrong for demanding their respect back. Things only began to get out of hand when Hitler began his crusade to make a super race and cast out all those who were unfit to live under his rule. The United States of America would not have stood for those injustices, no people should.

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