Treaty Of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was meant to keep peace by subjugating Germany, who was seen as a threat. Despite this honest attempt at peace, the Treaty of Versailles never could have succeeded. The Treaty of Versailles failed in its attempts at peace, because by subjugating Germany’s ethnic residents, economy, and military it angered the German populace and caused another World War. World War 1 was a large-scale war in which a single assassination escalated into a massacre of over 30 million lives. The war escalated so fast due to the network of alliances in Europe.

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

The policy was based on the League of Nations dealing with any countries, which were too powerful, but as the League of Nations failed, so did the ... ... middle of paper ... ...horrors. The British people also did not want war, and so were pressurising Chamberlain to avoid it. And at this time, Britain was unable to afford to rearm due to economic pressure. But the majority of these reasons are hardly to do with Chamberlain personally, as they had been forced upon him. In 1939 Chamberlain had given the Sudetenland to Hitler, this gave Hitler more confidence to attack more countries and to spread out further.

The treaty had overly weakened Germany and gave the victory countries more economic benefits and power mainly on the west. Instead of having Germany to be blamed for sole responsibility of the war by stripping away almost everything from Germany so that it is impossible for them to ever rise again, the allies should have put into thought of maintaining a good diplomatic relationship with them and accept the fact that each country had at least some contributions and fault to the war.

A Violation The Treaty of Versailles was a violation of Wilson’s ideals. The Treaty is one of the most important agreements (or disagreements) that shaped 20th century Europe socially and physically. Woodrow Wilson on January 22, 1917 in an address to the United States Senate called for a peace without victors, but the Treaty signed by the participating nations was everything but that. The blame for the war was placed on Germany and justified the reparations that were outlined by the treaty for the war. The terms of the treaty were very harsh to the Germans and they took on great resentment.

The parliament is responsible for the death of democracy and the rise of a dictatorship in Germany. They did not fulfill their duty thus making them lose the support of the people, which later transferred to Hitler. The parliament was then subjected to please Hitler by putting him in power and with the fear he installed in the members there was nothing holding him back to become ultimate ruler of Germany or better known as the Furheer. The parliament should have done their job properly postwar and perhaps democracy could have been saved. Yet, perhaps, the entire experience that Germany endured with its government system suggests that democracy is only a dream.

Leading up until the invasion of Poland 1939, no policy leader, although France had a better idea than Britain, knew what Hitler’s objectives were and perceived that once Germany had reclaimed what it had lost under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany would end its annexation, it was not understand in the lead up years that Germany desired to dominate Europe. Morality played a significant part in the adoption of appeasement in 1938. Although the Treaty of Versailles was at first seen as just, at a later date many in Britain perceived the treaty as immoral and as a way for France to cripple Germany. Not only did this create Franco phobia in Britain but it also created a pro-German stance across Britain for instance religious groups at first saw the treaty as fair but ultimately saw it as unchristian. Therefore, not only did it lessen the ties between Britain and France on a moral standing but it also allowed Britain to rationalise that the fascist Germany was only trying to regain what was lost in the treaty and at the same time safeguard themselves against economic depressions.

Politically, Germany was humiliated and greatly weakened in their say. To decide whether the treaty was unfair and simply based on revenge, one must consider whether or not Germany was souly to blame for the war. If the answer is 'Yes', then it is made far easier to justify a harsh treaty. Germany had been responsible for a great loss of allied life, and also a huge loss in resources. Germany had settled two harsh treaties against France, including one after the Franco-Prussian war; this may make a harsh treaty more justifiable.

The Germans took the streets of Berlin and started to protest against losing the territories of the Danzig and Posen after the treaty of Versailles. On June 28, 1919, the Germans signed the treaty of Versailles. Thesis: The Treaty of Versailles brought about peace in many of the countries. But not in Germany because the Germans weren’t happy with the Treaty and they felt that with Treaty ending the War they had lost their dignity and pride. The Treaty also helped give the rise to Adolf Hitler and leading Germany into World War 2.

Many historians are unsure about which country is most to blame for the outbreak of war, but one important and very outstanding factor seemed to be na... ... middle of paper ... ... a devastating environment within Germany that led to the creation of a monster of German aggression that the Treaty was attempting to stop forever. The restrictions that were placed on Germany led to economic collapse, a pitiful government, despair, and humiliation. The environment that the Treaty of Versailles created in Germany bred Hitler and his Nazi party, and made it all that much easier for him to amass a large fallowing. If the delegations at the Paris Peace Conference had been more concerned with promoting future peace, rather than punishing Germany, World War II may have been avoided, however it lent itself to the inevitability of World War II because it gave Germany a reason to rebel against the rest of the world, and had no measures to stop it when it did. The Treaty of Versailles blatant mishandling of Germany led directly to the onset of World War II.