The Treaty of Versailles- Fair or Unfair?

“It is the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities, and their right to live on equal terms of liberty and safety with one another, whether they be strong or weak. Unless this principle be made its foundation, no part of the structure of international justice can stand.”

- Woodrow Wilson

The war between Germany and the allied countries had stopped, but many countries didn't want a repeat of the war. Woodrow Wilson came up with a plan called The Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was an agreement against Germany, signed by 27 allied countries. British Empire (includes Australia, Canada, South Africa, India and New Zealand), Frace, Italy, Japan, United States, were the main allies, though many countries backed them up. Such as: Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hejaz, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Uruguay and Yugoslavia. Together they ganged up on Germany and signed a treaty they had designed, putting Germany in fault for World War I.

Negotiations begun on the 18th of January, 1918. The treaty included fourteen points, addressed by Woodrow Wilson. In the actual treaty there were many more demands brought forth by the allied countries, most of which, were harsh and unjust. Many Germans were outraged by the demands and couldn't believe their government had agreed to sign it, especially with all the humility the would be subject to by other countries. The Deutsche Zeitung was raged that they wrote,“In the place where, in the glorious year of 1871, the German Empire in all its glory had its origin, today German honor is being carried to its grave. Do not forget it! The German people will, with unceasing labor, press forward to reconquer the place among the nations to which it is entitled. Then will come vengeance for the shame of 1919." The treaty was added to The League of Nations Treaty Series on October 21st 1919 and became effective on the 10th of January 1920.


Although I agree with the Germans that some of the demands in the treaty were unfair, but fair in a sense. Just a year earlier, on the 3rd of March 1918, the Germans signed a treaty against Russia. This treaty included harsher demands on Russia, than The Treaty of Versailles. It is unfair because Germany wasn't the only country that participated in World War I. Germany lost a lot of land, as stated in The Treaty of Versailles. The over all cost Germany owed was $33 billion.

Overall, The Treaty of Versailles was unfair and fair at the same time. Germany punished Russia in 1918 and now they were paying for it. Germany signed the treaty and took full responsibility for what they had taken part in.












Credits:
- en.wikipedia.org
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