Treaty of Versailles

Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that officially ended WWI. It was negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference throughout the spring of 1919. This treaty didn’t exactly end war between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany but created a humiliating effect on the Germans side which eventually led to WWII. The Treaty of Versailles was highly confidential and caused hard feelings on all sides, contributing to the outbreak of WWII. (Treaty of Versailles)

The treaty required Germany and its allies to accept full responsibility for causing war and pay reparations to certain countries. Germany also had further military restrictions—the air force was disabled, limited army to 100,000 men and the navy was limited to 15,000 sailors, 6 battleships, no submarines. They were also forbidden to put troops in Rhineland and France was entrusted to patrol it with troops to enforce restrictions. Germany, Austria and Hungary were excluded from the negotiations because they have been defeated. Russia was also excluded because both countries signed a separate peace treaty. (Treaty of Versailles)

The treaty evoked an angry and hostile reception in Germany from the moment its contents were made public. The German people had understood the negotiations at the Versailles to be a “peace conference” but not surrender. They didn’t feel that the reparations were fair to them. They also thought that they aren’t responsible for starting the war. The Germans were outraged and horrified—since Wilson’s fourteen pints painted a different picture. (Reaction in Germany)

The Germans economy was so weak