The Treaty of Versailles

Teisa Wolfgramm

April 4, 2017

Treaty of Versailles

After world war I, president Woodrow Wilson proposed a treaty called the Treaty of Versailles. It proposed peace with the central powers in which was assigned in the Paris Peace conference in 1919 by the allied powers (Wilson, Clemenceau, and Lloyd George). The treaty was mainly targeted to the Germans leaving them to give up or reduce important things that benefited them. The treaty however was not ratified by the U.S. senate due to a vote of 39 to 55.

For the first time, the U.S. had rejected a peace treaty due to an overvote. President Wilson had negotiated the treaty to promote a system of security by the League of Nations. The League of Nations was to preserve peace and which it was also an neutral alliance. Wilson had given his famous “14 points” for a safer, better world. He had proposed to the Central powers of the reduction to trade barriers, fair adjustment of colonies, and respect for national self-determination. This would reduce economic and nationalist sentiments that would lead to war. However Wilson could not force his world views on the Allied powers when they had other ideas. The countries that were apart of it could not seem to negotiate or find a common ground.

The main issue that the countries had between each other was was to find a common ground. For example; “Yet if they connive at this Treaty they will, as liberal and humane American democrats who seek