A Brief History
On January 10, 1920, The Treaty of Versailles went into effect, marking the official end of World War I, although the United States did not endorse the treaty. While some called World War I “The War to end all wars,” we know too well the false optimism of that epithet as only two decades later the world would be wracked by a much bigger and more deadly war.
Digging Deeper
The tremendous cost of World War I in lives and national resources led participants to insist on a clear winner/loser outcome and any thought of a negotiated peace leaving no clear winner was stridently rejected. When the Allied nations won the war, a desire to lay blame for starting the horrible conflagration was strong, as were demands for reparations and punishment.
Germany was largely made the scapegoat for instigating the Great War, and was duly punished by terms of the treaty, laying blame on Germany, forcing territorial concessions, greatly limiting allowable military size and composition, and demanding reparations.
Germany chafed under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and as resentment grew over the years the seeds of World War II were sown, ultimately proving the total failure of the treaty to resolve World War I and provide for a peaceful future.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Has any treaty been worse than the Treaty of Versailles?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andelman, David. A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today. Trade Paper Press, 2014.
Neiberg, Michael. The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History. Oxford University Press, 2017.
The featured image in this article, an image of Current History, Vol. XIII (January 1921), is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.
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