Did the Treaty of Versailles bring peace in Europe?

Answer 1

No. If anything, the Treaty of Versailles divided Europe even more. The Europeans were warned by Americans that harsh punishment would have consequences, but the French and British were insisting on punishing their enemies. This led to an unbelievably harsh treatment mainly to Germany, but also to Austria-Hungary. Austria and Hungary were divided, and the previous Great Powers were dismantled into tiny landlocked countries. Land was taken to form new countries (Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia), but was also given to Allies (Italy and Romania). Germany lost a significant amount of land to form Poland, a little land to Denmark, forfeited land to form the Rhineland (a demilitarized zone between France and Germany), and Alsace-Lorraine to France. Germany was to pay all war reparations for itself and the Allies and was to be demilitarized. A union between Austria and Germany was banned. But perhaps the most humiliating for Germany was the War Guilt Clause, where Germany had to accept blame for starting WWI. Overall, the Treaty of Versailles was intended to spread democracy in Europe, but there was a retreat from democracy more so than ever. Eastern Europe became completely authoritarian (with the exception of Czechoslovakia) and three totalitarian states formed (Nazi Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union).

Still damaged economically from WWI, France and the UK appeased to Germany in order to avoid war, which was also a big mistake for keeping peace in Europe. Germany basically undid all of the Treaty of Versailles by the stopping of paying war payments, annexing Austria (and later other lands), retaking the Rhineland, remilitarizing, etc. Once Germany was powerful enough (although it was still too early, which was a mistake on their part), they started World War II to really finish the unresolved peace of World War I.