Treaty Of Versailles Essay

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The Spark that Ignited World War II
The treaty of Versailles was the spark that ignited one of the most devastating wars ever fought. It led to an unprecedented event that will mark humanity for the rest of its existence, World War II. The way that the treaty was designed and the intentions of the people who signed it was what led the treaty to its destructive result. To understand the effect of the Treaty of Versailles, we have to first look into what led to its signing. World War I had just ended. The allies walked out of the war as the “victors”, but in reality there were no true winners. Europe was left devastated and the countries involved started pointing fingers. Millions of lives were lost and Germany was in the most compromising position. …show more content…

This article was later known as the War Guilt Clause. The Treaty of Versailles had military, geographic and economic sanctions, as well as the Covenant of the League of Nations. Germany had to pay 6,000 million euros for the damage done during the war and was forbidden to have submarines or an air force. Its navy was reduced to only six battleships and their army to 100,000 men. The treaty also prohibited Germany to import military materials, armored cars, tanks and heavy guns. Germany lost a vast amount of land and its colonies were given to Britain and France. Germany also lost 75% of her iron ore deposits and 26% of her coal and potash. It was also stripped of 13% of its territory and 10% of its …show more content…

He didn’t agree with the Guilt Clause and he also didn’t want Germany to be destroyed. For him, a positive aspect of the treaty was that his proposal of the creation of the League of Nations was accepted, but most of his Fourteen Points were rejected and ignored. Land repartition was also an issue for Wilson, as France and Britain wouldn’t allow self-determination to their colonies. When he returned to the United States the Senate refused to accept the Treaty of Versailles and to join the League of Nations because it failed its purpose as a peacekeeping

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