The Treaty of Versailles
Explore the Treaty of Versailles — the 1919 peace settlement that punished Germany, redrew Europe's map, and planted the seeds of World War II.
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the peace settlement that ended World War I — and, in the judgment of many historians, helped cause World War II. Negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference by the victorious Allied powers, it imposed harsh terms on Germany that generated lasting resentment and political instability.
The treaty's key provisions were punitive. Germany lost 13% of its territory and 10% of its population, including Alsace-Lorraine (to France), the Polish Corridor (to Poland), and all overseas colonies. The German army was limited to 100,000 men with no tanks, air force, or submarines. Most controversially, Article 231 — the 'war guilt clause' — forced Germany to accept sole responsibility for the war, providing the legal basis for massive reparations payments.
President Woodrow Wilson's idealistic Fourteen Points — including national self-determination and a League of Nations to prevent future wars — were partly incorporated but often undermined by French and British desires for punishment and security. The League of Nations was created but crippled from the start when the US Senate refused to ratify the treaty. The treaty satisfied no one fully: it was harsh enough to humiliate Germany but not harsh enough to prevent its resurgence. Hitler would exploit the 'Versailles diktat' as a powerful propaganda tool on his path to power.