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Home / IAS Preparation / Treaty Of Versailles 1919

Treaty of Versailles - History, Terms, Implementation, Impact, Issues & Disagreements Between Allies

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The Treaty of Versailles was a peace document that was signed between the Allied powers and Germany in 1919. The Treaty officially ended World War I, which took place between Germany and the Allied powers. The Treaty was signed at the Palace of Versailles near Paris and hence is known by the name Treaty of Versailles. This Treaty was a major contributing factor in the outbreak of the Second World War. 

The Treaty of Versailles is important from the perspective of UPSC IAS Examinations and falls under the general studies paper 1, particularly under the World History section. In this article, we shall discuss in detail the Treaty of Versailles. 

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What was the Treaty of Versailles?

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, marked the official end of World War I. It was one of the peace treaties that concluded the conflict. The treaty was primarily focused on Germany and imposed significant penalties on the nation. Germany was held responsible for the war and had to accept harsh terms, including territorial losses, disarmament, and massive reparations. These conditions aimed to weaken Germany and prevent its resurgence.

The treaty also established the League of Nations, an international organization meant to maintain peace and cooperation among nations. While it sought to prevent future conflicts, it had limited success. The Treaty of Versailles is often criticized for its harshness and the economic difficulties it imposed on Germany, contributing to the grievances that led to World War II.

Main Points of the Treaty of Versailles

The main points of the Treaty of Versailles were as follows:

  • The countries were prohibited from formalising secret treaties.
  • The countries were asked to reduce their weapons and armed forces.
  • The national self-determination principle should allow the people to govern themselves, and one nationality should be prohibited from the power to govern another.
  • All the countries were required to be part of the League of Nations.

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Background of Treaty of Versailles, 1919

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement signed after World War I had ended in 1918 and in the shadow of the Russian Revolution and other events in Russia. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Palace of Versailles near Paris between Germany and the Allies. The three most important figures who participated in the Treaty were David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson.

The Allied powers were in no mood to be sympathetic to Germany and other defeated nations who were solely held responsible for the war. Germany was purposefully left out of negotiations in making the Treaty. During mid-1918, there was a spread of the Spanish Flu, which cost the lives of 25 million people and was a cause of bitterness in Europe, and this anger was primarily directed at Germany. The Treaty was signed on June 28, 1919, after months of argument and negotiation amongst the so-called “Big Three” nations regarding the terms to be included in the Treaty.

Also, read this article on World History here for the UPSC Exam.

The Paris Peace Settlement

The representatives of 32 countries met in 1919 in Paris to draw up the peace settlement. The big three nations were in control of decision-making powers, and so was Italy, but to a lesser extent. The Paris Peace settlement was created from five treaties, i.e., the Treaty of Versailles, St Germain, Trianon, Neuilly, and Sevres/Lausanne.

The Treaty of Versailles was mainly confined to Germany. It was the major area of discussion during the finalisation of the peace settlement, whereas the other treaties dealt with the geopolitical and economic future of Europe.

Fourteen Points of Treaty of Versailles

In 1918, Wilson spoke to Congress. This was during World War I, often called "the war to end all wars." He shared his hopeful ideas for a peaceful world after the war. He talked about how, if the Allies won the war, some territories should change. He also stressed that the different groups of people in Europe should be able to rule themselves. Wilson had another big idea. He suggested starting a group of nations. This group would help solve disagreements between countries. They would also work together to stop big wars from happening in the future. This group later became known as the League of Nations. On November 11, 1918, the German leaders agreed to stop fighting in World War I. They thought Wilson's ideas would guide the peace agreement after the war. However, this did not happen as they hoped.

  1. Conduct diplomacy openly without secret treaties.
  2. Promote economic free trade on the seas during both war and peace.
  3. Ensure equal trade conditions among nations.
  4. Reduce armaments across all nations.
  5. Address colonial claims through negotiation.
  6. Allow Russia to determine its own independence by evacuating all Central Powers.
  7. Ensure the evacuation and restoration of Belgium.
  8. Return the Alsace-Lorraine region and all French territories.
  9. Readjust Italian borders through diplomatic means.
  10. Provide Austria-Hungary with the opportunity for self-determination.
  11. Redraw Balkan borders to establish Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro.
  12. Establish a Turkish state with guaranteed free trade in the Dardanelles.
  13. Create an independent Polish state.
  14. From the League of Nations to promote international cooperation.

Implementation of the Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was a very important agreement. It was signed in 1919, at the end of World War I. This Treaty was mostly about punishing Germany for starting the war. Three big things happened because of this Treaty.

Reparations

  • Reparations meant that Germany had to pay money to other countries. These were the countries that won the war.
  • The idea was that since Germany started the war, they should pay for the damage.
  • The total amount Germany had to pay was huge. It was 132 billion gold marks. This is equal to about 269 billion US dollars today.
  • Paying this money was very hard for Germany. They were already poor because of the war. This made their economy even worse.

Territorial Changes

  • Territorial changes mean that the map of Europe was redrawn. Germany had to give up some of its land.
  • Some of this land went to a new country called Poland. This included a place called the "Polish Corridor". This gave Poland access to the sea.
  • Germany also lost land to other countries like Belgium, Denmark, and France. This made Germany smaller.
  • Losing land also meant that Germany lost people. Many Germans now lived in other countries. This made Germans very unhappy.

Rhineland Occupation

  • The Rhineland is an area in Western Germany. It is next to France and Belgium.
  • The Treaty said that the Allies would control this area. The Allies were the countries that won the war.
  • This occupation was meant to keep Germany weak. If Germany tried to attack again, the Allies could stop them quickly.
  • The Rhineland occupation lasted until 1930. Germany was not allowed to have any soldiers there.
  • This was also very unpopular in Germany. Many Germans felt this was unfair.

The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to keep peace in Europe. However, it made many Germans very angry. Some say it helped start World War II. The Treaty was controversial, and its implementation had many challenges.

Impact of Treaty of Versailles

The impact of the Treaty of Versailles was as follows:

Territorial Losses:

  • The Saar region came under the administration of the League of Nations.
  • A new independent Polish state was created.
  • West Russia and Posen were given to Poland.
  • Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France
  • Danzig was created as an international city.
  • Website for carried out in Upper Silesia, West Prussia, and Schleswig
  • There was a loss of colonies and investments in Germany

Military Restrictions on Germany:

  • Germany was only allowed a regular army that was limited to 100,000 military personnel
  • It was not allowed an air force and only a very small fleet
  • It ended compulsory enlistment into the armed forces
  • Rhineland came under the occupation of allied military powers for 15 years.
  • All commissions in Germany came under the control of the Allies until 1927.

Also, Read about the Allied and Axis Powers for the UPSC Exam.

Reparations on Germany:

  • Germany was to pay £6,600 million (132 billion gold marks)
  • These reparations were to be paid in regular instalments, some in gold and some in goods
  • The Allies struggled to get payments from Germany from 1921 to 1923
  • France took over Ruhr in 1923

Check out the article on Important Boundaries and Lines of the World for the UPSC Exam.

Issues with Paris Peace Settlement

The main issues with the Paris Peace Settlement were as follows:

  • Germany, Russia, and none of the other defeated countries were allowed to take part in the discussions nor attend the Versailles conference
  • All the big decisions were made by the Council of Four (United States, France, United Kingdom, and Italy)
  • The aims of the major powers were often contradictory, and so compromises had to be made within the treaties.
  • The terms of the Treaty of Versailles were not soft enough to allow for reconciliation with Germany but not harsh enough to weaken Germany’s power.

German Response to the Treaty of Versailles
  • Germany had hoped for a softer punishment as it had thought the Treaty would have taken in much more of Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
  • Germany did not think it was fair to have to accept responsibility for the start of the First World War.
  • Germany did not think it was fair that it had no say or that it was not part of the discussions.
  • Germany did not like the fact that it was forced to sign the Treaty without any negotiations of the terms.
  • It disagreed with the reparations and especially the territorial losses.
  • The exclusion from the principle of self-determination also angered it.
  • The German population was angered by the Treaty and wanted to see it revoked.

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Disagreements Between the Allies
  • Some thought the Treaty was too harsh, others that it was too lenient.
  • Those who supported Wilson’s Fourteen Points argued that the Treaty had failed to create a peaceful world.
  • John Maynard Keynes argued that Europe would become weaker and poorer as a result of the restrictions, territorial losses, and the economic weakening of Germany.
  • The British people started to recognise that the Treaty may have to be reviewed.
  • The US refused to agree with the Treaty as it opposed Article X of the League of Nations.
  • There was an article under the Treaty that allowed the members of the league to use their independent power to resist aggression as and when it may occur.
  • The Treaty was not signed by the USA, which had a big impact on the league.

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FAQs on The Treaty of Versailles

The main points in this document were:The countries were prohibited from formalizing secret treaties.The countries were asked to reduce their weapons and armed forces.National self-determination principle should allow the people to govern themselves and one nationality should be prohibited from the power to govern another.All the countries were required to be part of the League of nations.

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement signed after World War I had ended in 1918 and in the shadow of the Russian Revolution and other events in Russia. The treaty was signed at the Palace of Versailles near Paris between Germany and the Allies.

The main issues with the Paris peace settlement were as follows:Germany, Russia, and none of the other defeated countries were allowed to take part in the discussions nor attended the Versailles conferenceAll the big decisions were made by the Council of Four (United States, France, United Kingdom, and Italy)The aims of the major powers were often contradictory and so compromises had to be made within the treatiesThe terms of the Treaty of Versailles were not soft enough to allow for reconciliation with Germany but not harsh enough to weaken Germany's power.

Germany was only allowed a regular army that was limited to 100,000 military personnelIt was not allowed an air force and only a very small fleetIt ended compulsory enlistment into the armed forces

Germany did not think it was fair that it had no say or that it was not part of the discussionsGermany did not like the fact that it was forced to sign the treaty without any negotiations of the termsIt disagreed with the reparations and especially the territorial losses

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