The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. After six months of negotiations, which took place at the Paris Peace Conference, the treaty was signed as a follow-up to the armistice signed in November 1918 in Compi
To be honest the Treaty of Versailles was not needed. It was something that England, and especially France wanted.
WW I could have ended with a simple agreement for all the armies to return home.
But there were many hidden feelings that caused the French and English to want it. There is an old saying (that is true). "The French fight for glory, the English fight for land, and the Americans fight for souvenirs."
Both the French and English has lost MANY men in the war. They felt (and possibly true) that they could not face the people of their nation if the war ended without obtaining something that would make their deaths "worthwhile." That meant the French wanted glory (revenge), the British wanted land.
Why did the French want revenge? They had fought a war with the Germans in 1870-71 and had lost. That was bad enough (Paris was captured), but worst of all the Germans required the French to surrender in the place that represented the glory of France -- the palace of Versailles. (Home of Louis XIV, Frances greatest king.) In addition the Germans acknowledged their unified nation by making Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm I their leader in the Palace of Versailles. So to regain their honor the French felt they had to force the Germans to surrender, to accept the shame of saying they -- alone -- started World War I (which was a lie and they knew it.)
The English favored making the Germans say they started the war, so they could punish them for that terrible thing. Punishment in the eyes of the English meant that they would get all the German colonies in Africa. (By the way the Japanese fought on the Allied side in WW I and they were rewarded by being given most of the German islands in the Pacific Ocean, areas we would later be forced to fight for in World War II.)
What did the U.S. get out of the war? Nothing, only souvenirs.
CommentsThe above answer completely ignores:
Note the following statement in the above answer:
"Why did the French want revenge? They had fought a war with the Germans in 1870-71 and had lost. That was bad enough (Paris was captured), but worst of all the Germans required the French to surrender in the place that represented the glory of France -- the palace of Versailles. "
No, the French didn't surrender in the Palace of Versailles in 1871. Not only is the answer ill informed, it's isolationist Propaganda. Moreover, the issue of German war guilt is still controversial, and it certainly can't be dismissed as a "lie".
The treaty wasn't about settling a point d'honneur. There were genuine issues that needed settling. The French had lost Alsace-Lorraine and had been forced to pay heavy reparations.
What's more, one needs to consider the possibility that by 1914 Germany was already on the road to becoming a rogue state, which emerged very clearly in full roguery 20-25 years later.
To settle the arguments between Germany and many other European countries. Germany did not attend the meeting to settle the terms and because all of the other countries blamed Germany for the beginning of WW1, the Treaty was very unfair to them.
The main terms of the Treaty were:
The Treaty of Versailles happened because the First World War had ended. It was intended to be a lasting peace agreement.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War One. Hope this is what you were looking for! :)
Paris was (and still is) a popular location for signing treaties. The Palace of Versailles may have been chosen because Germany had used it in 1871 to proclaim its empire.
It had happened in Versailles because at that time the palace had a great significance world wide and it was near to the allied powers.
Example of the relation between the world order today and the treaty of versallies failure's lessons
it was a treaty of Versailles.
Opposition of the treaty Versailles
The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles
It was drawn up and signed in the Palace of Versailes, France.
The Holocaust is not related to the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles is peace treaty that ended war between Germany and Allied powers and the treaty was signed on 28 June 1919,but it took six months of negotiations and at Paris Peace Conference the treaty was concluded and registered by the Secretariat of the League of Nations on 21 October 1919 and it signed in the palace of versailles.
Opposition of the treaty Versailles
The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
It was drawn up and signed in the Palace of Versailes, France.
I believe that the treaty of Versailles took place in 1919
The Holocaust is not related to the Treaty of Versailles.
end WW1punish Germany for its participation in WW1repay the Allies for the costs of their participation in WW1
end WW1punish Germany for its participation in WW1repay the Allies for the costs of their participation in WW1
end WW1punish Germany for its participation in WW1repay the Allies for the costs of their participation in WW1
the treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, after the was ended in 1918.
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles is peace treaty that ended war between Germany and Allied powers and the treaty was signed on 28 June 1919,but it took six months of negotiations and at Paris Peace Conference the treaty was concluded and registered by the Secretariat of the League of Nations on 21 October 1919 and it signed in the palace of versailles.