The Peace Treaty That Ended Peace: The Treaty of Versailles

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At the conclusion of the devastating first World War, European nations had no interest in fighting another war; however, lingering feelings of animosity and aspirations for revenge on Germany would result in one of the deadliest wars in history. On January 18, 1919, delegates from thirty-two countries met in the Palace of Versailles, France to negotiate peace and determine the fate of Germany. After a year of heated debates, a series of severe sanctions were agreed upon. Germany lost all of its colonies as well as large amounts of valuable land that would be used to create new nations. War materials were forbidden and highly restrictive rules were imposed upon the military. The most humiliating article of the treaty, known as the War Guilt Clause, blamed Germany for the war and forced the Germans to pay an overwhelming sum of $35 billion for damage caused by the war. Though the Allies wanted to weaken Germany so that it could never wage war again, many world leaders feared that an overly punitive treaty could provoke feelings of revenge in Germany and consequently plunge Europe into yet another bloody war. (Beck 425-426) While German outrage was expected, the horrors that resulted from the signing of the treaty had consequences that left a legacy on the world. Though the Treaty of Versailles aimed to create a lasting peace after World War I, in Germany it led to the lack of faith in the government, an economic crisis, and the loss of considerable amounts of land, which in effect directly led to the rise of the fascist Nazi Party.

Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power in Germany because he exploited the anger and mistrust that the Germans felt towards their new government for signing the Treaty of Versailles. The German people we...

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...tterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. Print.

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Dudley, William, ed. The Nazis. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2002. Print.

Grimshaw, Ashley. "The Treaty of Versailles." Lemoyne.edu. Le Moyne College, 17 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Mar. 2014

Lace, William W. The Nazis. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print. The Holocaust Library.

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