The Treaty of Versailles imposed terms on Germany after World War 1. It was signed on June 28, 1919 at Versailles Palace by Germany and the Allied powers. The key terms included Germany taking responsibility for starting the war, losing territory, demilitarization, and paying reparations. However, the treaty failed to achieve lasting peace and set the stage for World War 2 by isolating and punishing Germany severely.

1. Natalia Delbono
Silvina Brochini
THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
Cultura y Civilización Británica III
15/5/2015

2.  “Peace settlement” imposed by the victorious powers (Britain, France and Italy).
Negotiations started on 18th January
Signed in June 28th 1919 at Versailles Palace.
Registered by the Secretariat of the League of Nations –
October 21st 1919
70 delegates from 27 nations
Germany, Austria and Hungary were excluded. Russia too.
THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

3. “Peace settlement”
Inaccurately known as the agreement which ended with WWI.
(Saint Germain with Austria, Trianon with Hungary, Sevres with
Turkey, Neuilly with Bulgaria).
It failed to make peace!

4. The three most important politicians
David Lloyd George (Great Britain):
 Public support :"Make Germany Pay”.
Privately: Germany should be treated in such a way that left
her as a barrier to resist the spread of communism in Russia.
Georges Clemenceau (France): Destroy Germany /
Worried about neighborhood / Obtained Anglo-
American support in case of a new German aggression
Woodrow Wilson (America):
Proposed his Fourteen Points before the end of the war
Reconciliation not revenge.
Leave Europe to its own devices.
Germany should be punished

5. The three main nations different positions
how Germany should be treated
What exactly did the treaty do to Germany?

6. Main clauses:
“War guilt” clause: Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war
(Article 231)
Obliged to pay indefinite “reparations” for cost of the war (20 billion gold marks)
Lost territories – 25000 square miles, colonies, Alsace-Lorraine back to France,
creation of the Republic of Poland
Saar - region of Germany occupied and governed by theUnited
Kingdom and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate
Deprived of an effective army and air force. Its army was limited to 100.000 men (7
infantry, 3 cavalry divisions, 3 military schools, arms trade was forbidden, surrender
battleships, destroyers, etc. and could not manufacture anything for 6 months after
the signing of the treaty)
A League of Nations was set up to keep world peace. Many achievements, most
important: created the habit of consultation and discussion between governments.

7. Main clauses:
Philipp Scheidemann – resigned and didn’t sign the treaty
Gustav Bauer – requested some articles to be withdrawn
Allies sent an ultimatum-imminent invasion of Allied forces
23rd June, Bauer capitulated (after Hindenburg’s advice) – 2nd telegram
accepting the treaty
28th June – the treaty was signed
Guarantee:
The Rhineland and bridgeheads east of the Rhine – occupied by Allied
troops – 15 years
Reactions:
Britain: French policy was greedy and vindictive
France: Clemenceau was voted out in 1920
USA: Wilson claimed that “at last the world knows America as the
savior of the world” – had a stroke
Germany: condemned the treaty, Jews were seen as disloyal, week
economy

8. Territorial Arrangements
- Alsace and Lorraine back to
France
- Czechoslovakia and Poland
were created from Austro-
Hungarian territories
- Hungary became
independent
- Rumania was enlarged
(Transylvania)
- Baltic Republics (Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Finland)
became independent
- Turkey-Asia Minor
- Arabia – independent
kingdom
- Irak, Palestine and
Transjordania – Great Britain
- Syria- French

9. THE TREATY WAS A FAILURE
 Isolated Germany and communist Russia.
 Far from restore peace, it paved the way for WWII.
 The problems that arose from the treaty improved relations between Germany and the
other European Powers
1935 – Adolf Hitler – introduced compulsory military conscripton and rebuilt the armed
forces
1936 – Germany reoccupied the demilitarized zone in the Rhineland
1938 – Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss (union of Austria and Nazi Germany)

10. 1919 peace settlement was the
product of national and
imperial rivalries rather than
of a yearning for a more
harmonious world

11. REFERENCES
 Hobsbawm, Eric – Age of Extremes – The Short Twentieth
Century 1914-1991 – Abacus 1995
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/treaty_of_versailles.ht
m
 MORGAN, Kenneth – The Oxford Illustrated History of
Britain – Oxford University Press – 1987
 RAYNER, Robert – A Concise History of Britain – Longmans,
Green and Co. – 1951
HALLIDAY, F.E. – England A Concise History – Thames and
Hudson, Ltd. – London 1994