The Treaty of Versailles and Its Preconditions Fo

The Treaty of Versailles and Its Preconditions Fo

In January 1919, representatives of the victorious allied powers of World War I gathered in Paris to draft a peace treaty at the Paris Peace Conference. The principal participants in the conference were the leaders of the four great powers: Woodrow Wilson of the United States, Georges Clemenceau of France, David Lloyd George of Britain, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy. It soon became apparent that each participant had significantly differing motives and interests. Despite those varying differences, the representatives collaborated in creating five treaties. Each treaty was specific to the countries of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. The one treaty among the five that had the greatest impact on the future of any outbreaks of war, was the treaty involving Germany and was called the Treaty of Versailles.

The treaty provided a number of military and economic provisions which were designed not only to punish Germany for its war guilt, but also to specifically insure France, Poland and the rest of the world against the possibility of future German aggression. The German Army was limited to 100,000 men and was not to possess any heavy artillery, the general staff was abolished, and the navy was to be reduced. No air force would be permitted, and the production of military planes was forbidden. The Treaty obligated the Germans to pay reparations amounting to over 3 billion to the Allies. The Rhineland, near the French border, was to be under allied control for 15 years, and no German soldiers could be stationed there. Alsace and Lorraine were to be returned to France, and Poland was to regain its independence. Germany was to make reparation payments for all civilian damages caused during the war. This burden, combined with payment of reparations to the Allies of great quantities of industrial goods, merchant shipping, and raw materials, was expected to prevent Germany from being able to...

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