What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay financial reparations, lose territory, disarm, and give up all its overseas territories. The treaty also called for the League of Nations, an international peacekeeping organization.

What are the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles?

The short-term effect of the Treaty of Versailles is Germany had to accept guilt for starting the War. Germany lost lands, paid allies reparations, and had to reduce the size of the army. However, in the long term, it was one of the major causes of World War II .

Who created the Treaty of Versailles?

The key people involved in drafting the Treaty of Versailles were US President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, and French Premier Georges Clemenceau.

What did the Treaty of Versailles do?

On June 28, 1919, Germany and the Allied Nations signed the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I formally. However, it required Germany to give up overseas colonies, pay for the disarm, financial damage, and lose territory.

How the Treaty of Versailles led to world war 2?

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles punished Germany harshly. Due to this, Germany lost its financial status, and the economy and military were weak. These factors made Germany angry and become loyal to Hitler. So it was one of many reasons that caused World War II.

How did Treaty of Versailles affect Germany?

The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to give up its colonies in Asia and Africa. Germany was forced to pay reparation to the Allied Powers in a huge amount of $5 billion. Due to this, Germany faced an economic crisis, and its military power became weaker.

How Treaty of Versailles was a harsh and humiliating treaty?

The Treaty of Versailles is considered to be a harsh and humiliating treaty because it treated Germany too harshly. Due to this treaty, Germany was forced to lose 110th of its population, overseas colonies, 13% of its territories, and its iron and coal to Poland, France, Denmark, and Lithuania.

How did Germany feel about Treaty of Versailles?

Germany was very disappointed with the settlement of the Treaty of Versailles. It lost so much due to this treaty. The Allies threatened the Germans with a military invasion and forced them to sign the treaty. The Germans felt humiliated, and eventually, it led to WW2.

How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Germany economically?

Due to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to pay a significant amount of reparation to Britain and France. Germany lost 13% of its land. Germany couldn’t recover from this, and it led to an economic crisis in 1923.

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Treaty of Versailles : Summary, Terms & Facts

Q: What is the Treaty of Versailles?

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace document signed on 28th June 1919 between imperial Germany and the Allied Powers . The treaty ended the war between Germany and the Allies that had existed since 1914. It is one of the most controversial treaties in world history.

By Balaji

Updated on: February 21st, 2023

Treaty of Versailles was a peace document signed on June 28, 1919, between Germany and the Allied Powers. The Treaty ended the war between Germany and the Allies that had existed since 1914. The Treaty of Versailles brought World War I to an end. However, it was a big factor behind the outbreak of World War II. The Treaty of Versailles was named after the palace of Versailles.

In this article, we will be discussing the Treaty of Versailles in-depth, which is an important part of the history section of the UPSC syllabus. Gaining a proper understanding of this topic would help the UPSC aspirants to answer all the related questions to the Treaty of Versailles.

Table of content

1. What is Treaty of Versailles?
2. Terms of Treaty of Versailles
3. Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles
4. Treaty of Versailles UPSC

What is Treaty of Versailles?

The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand broke out during World War I. exactly five years after that, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, i.e. on June 28, 1919. The negotiations between the allied victors lasted for six months at the Paris Peace Conference and involved diplomatic delegations from 32 countries.

Treaty of Versailles UPSC Notes

US President Woodrow Wilson had a vision for the post-war world. The 14 points described Wilson’s plan for the overhaul of international relations.
Wilson called for an immediate end to the war, and he also had the goal of establishing an international peacekeeping organization, open diplomacy, international disarmament, and independence from colonial rule.
The 14 points elaborated by Wilson were highly influential, and they helped to shape the world for a better and more peaceful place to live.
In addition to negotiating the postwar, the Paris Peace Conference established the League of Nations.
League of Nations was an international organization with the objective of resolving disputes without involving military force.

Terms of Treaty of Versailles

Treaty of Versailles played a crucial role in establishing a blueprint for the postwar world.

“War Guilt clause” was the most controversial term in the Treaty that blamed Germany for the outbreak of World War I.
The Treaty of Versailles imposed a heavy debt payment of $5 billion on Germany. Forced to disarm and make territorial concessions.
US President Woodrow Wilson didn’t agree with the harsh terms, but he couldn’t do much about it.
The French wanted to weaken Germany to a great extent.

Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles

World War I started when Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo.

Gavrilo was a member of the Black Hand. This Hand encouraged the Austro-Hungarian Empire to declare war on Serbia. As a result, Serbia declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
German People were angry about the fact that Germy was made solely responsible for outbreaks of World War I.
Germany’s burden of reparations crossed 132 billion gold Reichsmarks. This amount was so significant for Germany.
Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in 1934, and he started violating many terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler announced a moratorium on all debt payments and ceased making reparations. He also started building the German army in earnest.
It laid the ground for World War II, which was far deadlier than World War I.

Treaty of Versailles UPSC

The Treaty of Versailles finds its relevance in the history segment of the UPSC Syllabus. That’s why candidates preparing for the UPSC Exam must go through the Treaty of Versailles UPSC Notes to prepare for the topic. Apart from the notes, candidates can also take the help of History Books for UPSC and UPSC study materials to kickstart their preparation.

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