Treaty of Versailles, 1919

Overview

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that ended World War I. The terms of the treaty can be divided into three main categories:

• Territorial
• Military
• Financial and Economic

Territorial Terms

• Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France.
• Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria.
• Lands in East Germany, including:
  • Posen
  • Polish Corridor between East Germany and East Prussia were given to Poland.
• The Saar, rich in coal fields, was given to France for 15 years.
• All of Germany's colonies were taken and given as mandates to France and Britain.

Military Terms

• The German army was restricted to 100,000 men.
• The navy could only have six battleships and no submarines.
• No air force was allowed.
• The Rhineland was demilitarized:
  • The German army was prohibited from entering this area between France and Germany.

Financial and Economic Terms

• Germany was required to pay reparations set at 132 billion gold marks.
• Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations.
• Germany had to accept responsibility for causing all the damage and loss of the war.

Impact and Reception

• The treaty was unpopular in Germany and among its creators.
• Its terms were eventually reversed both secretly and openly by Hitler.
• The resentment and reversal of the treaty's terms contributed to the causes of World War II.

Additional Resources

• Watch related videos for more insights.
• Purchase "Simple History World War I" available on Amazon for further reading.