What It Is
The Treaty of Versailles, along with several related treaties, was drafted at the Paris Peace Conference, which convened in January, 1919. The conference was headed by the “Big Four”—representatives from the United States, Italy, Great Britain and France. Though Russia suffered heavy losses in the war, she was specifically not invited to the conference due to the newly-appointed Bolshevik government, which the democratic west refused to recognize. For several smaller countries, like Canada and Australia, the Paris Peace Conference represented an opportunity to enter the world as international powers for the first time, making the Versailles Treaty an important document in both countries' histories. The purported goal of the treaty was to prevent a world war from breaking out again. It was drafted simultaneously with the Treaty of Saint-Germain (for Austria), the Treaty of Neuilly (for Bulgaria), the Treaty of Trianon (for Hungary), and the Treaty of Sevres (for the Ottoman Empire).The Big Four
Woodrow Wilson, US President and one of the “Big Four,” came to the table with fourteen points he hoped would form the basis of the treaty. The points were largely concerned with the re-drafting of national borders and granting ethnic groups national independence, but also included a stipulation that all international treaties had to be public, and called for the formation of a Council of Nations to settle international disputes without having to resort to war. Germany considered the points fair and expected that they would make up the basis of the treaty, but Britain and France had other ideas. The Prime Minister of Britain, David Lloyd George, knew that his people wanted reparations for damages suffered during the war, and expected that Germany would be punished, though he also knew that too harsh of a punishment would lead to resentment. The French Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau, had no such reservations. He pushed for the utter crippling of Germany, particularly militarily, so that Germany could never invade France again. The final member of the “Big Four,” Italy's Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando, wanted to gain more territory for Italy, but his political inexperience prevented him from having an impact. He stormed out of negotiations in April, 1919, though he returned for the signing of the treaty a month later.Impact
The Treaty of Versailles, when it was finally finished, barely resembled Wilson's fourteen points, which Germany had expected to be the backbone of the treaty. Instead, the treaty imposed the following demands:Historical Impact
The humiliation and harsh retribution imposed on Germany was perceived by Germans as an affront to their sovereignty, particularly the demands made regarding property on the Eastern front, where German had been victorious. Many German citizens regarded the treaty as a sham, agreed to by a weak Kaiser, and felt as though they had been stabbed in the back by a traitorous liberal party. It was this injured national pride that allowed Hitler's Nazi party to rise to prominence, with their promises to restore Germany to her former position of power. The anger over the unfair stipulations of the treaty caused citizens to look past the more radical tendencies of the party, like its disgust for socialists and Jewish ethnic groups, and focus instead on the bright future it was offering. Today, the Treaty of Versailles remains a harsh reminder of what happens when a victor takes too much liberty with his power. All subsequent treaties have had to take the Treaty of Versailles into consideration, so as not to repeat its mistakes.Additional Resources
Original documents: Yale Law School Library: the Avalon Project The complete text of the Treaty of Versailles. Brigham Young University Library: Treaty of Versailles The complete text of the treaty, plus territorial maps and charts. Museum of Australian Democracy: the Treaty of Versailles An overview of the treaty from an Australian perspective. Includes several images of original documents. US Department of the State: Office of the Historian An overview of the Treaty of Versailles and related historical events. Includes original documents. New York Times Historical Archive: Lloyd George Again Rebukes French A contemporary article covering the statements of British Prime Minister D. Lloyd George regarding French attitudes toward the Treaty of Versailles. For teachers: California State University Northridge A lesson plan on Woodrow Wilson's 14 points. PBS.org A lesson plan for teaching the aftermath of WWI and its historical impact. Overviews: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Treaty of Versailles, 1919 A summary of the treaties made at the end of WWI. Site also includes sections on other aspects of WWI and WWII. Fordham University Modern History Sourcebook: the Treaty of Versailles A list of the key political and territorial articles in the treaty. Colby College: the Weimar Republic An overview of the Treaty of Versailles, including a brief summary of its territorial, military, financial and judicial consequences. BBC History: Versailles and Peacemaking An overview of the Treaty of Versailles from a British perspective. Includes several contemporary German political cartoons. University of Virginia: the Personalities of the Big Three A summary of three of the Big Four: Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau and David Lloyd George. Charles Sturt University: An Overview of WWI An overview of WWI and its aftermath, including the complete text of Wilson's 14 Points. University of Virginia: Wilsonianism within the Treaty of Versailles An exploration of the principles of Wilson's philosophy, and their relationship with the treaty. The Unconditional Acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles by the German Government An article from the Journal of Modern History reflecting on the availability of documents regarding Germany's participation in the Treaty of Versailles. JSTOR requires membership for full access.