THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
Fighting in World War I ended in 1917, but it took almost another two years before a negotiated treaty for peace was written. The victorious powers, primarily France, Great Britain and the United States, sought a number of provisions and assurances that would settle the numerous problems affecting European nations.
Among these problems were the allocation of territory, the question of the status of ethnic groups in Europe, and payment for the destruction of war. The Treaty of Versailles (so named for the royal palace outside of Paris where it was negotiated) established new national boundaries -- giving large chunks of German and Austrian land to the victorious powers, and creating many new nations like Czechoslovakia for example. The treaty also demanded that German pay large sums for war damage. And the treaty also sought to establish rights for ethnic groups, most in Eastern Europe. Ultimately the Treaty of Versailles was not successful in solving these many problems, and in fact probably exacerbated these problems in many cases.
Points to Ponder:
1. What provisions were negotiated in the Treaty
that would prevent other European states, especially France, from
being attacked by Germany in the future?
2. What territorial losses did Germany suffer in Europe and in
her colonies? How might this have affected the colonialist enterprise?
3. According to the treaty, what justified imposing reparations
on Germany?
4. In what ways does Nationalism appear in this text from the
Treaty of Versailles?
PART III. POLITICAL CLAUSES FOR EUROPE
Article 42. Germany is forbidden to maintain or construct any fortifications either on the left bank of the Rhine or on the right bank to the west of a line drawn 50 kilometers to the east of the Rhine.
Article 45. As compensation for the destruc-tion of the coal-mines in the north of France and as part payment towards the total repara-tion due from Germany for the damage result- ing from the war, Germany cedes to France in full and absolute possession, with exclusive rights of exploitation, unencumbered and from all debts and charges of any kind, the coalmines situated in the Saar Basin as defined in Article 48. . . .
The High Contracting Parties, recognizing the moral obligation to redress the wrong done by Germany in 1871 both to the rights of France and to the wishes of the population of Alsace and Lorraine, which were separated from their country in spite of the solemn protest of their representatives at the Assembly of Bordeaux.
Agree upon the following Articles:
Article 51. The territories which were ceded to Germany in accordance with the Preliminaries of Peace signed at Versailles on February 26, 1871, and the Treaty of Frankfurt of May 10, 1871, are restored to French sovereignty as from the date of the Armistice of November 11, 1918.
The provisions of the Treaties establishing the delimitation of the frontiers before 1871 shall be restored. . . .
Article 80. Germany acknowledges and will respect strictly the independence of Austria, within the frontiers which may be fixed in a Treaty between that State and the Principal Allied and Associated Powers; she agrees that this independence shall be inalienable, except with the consent of the Council of the League of Nations.
Article 81. Germany, in conformity with the action already taken by the Allied and Associated Powers, recognizes the complete independence of the Czecho-Slovak State which will include the autonomous territory of the Ruthenians to the south of the Carpathians. Germany hereby recognizes the frontiers of this State as determined by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers and the other interested States.
Article 84. German nationals habitually resident in . . . the Czecho-Slovak State will obtain Czecho-Slovak nationality ipso facto and lose their German nationality. . . .
Article 87. Germany, in conformity with the action already taken by the Allied and Associated Powers, recognizes the complete independence of Poland. . . .
Article 89. Poland undertakes to accord freedom of transit to persons, goods, vessels, carriages, wagons, and mails in transit between East Prussia and the rest of Germany over Polish territory, including territorial waters, and to treat them at least as favorably as the persons, goods, vessels, carriages, wagons, and mails respectively of Polish or of any other more favored nationality, origin, importation, starting-point, or ownership as regards facilities, restricrions and all other matters. . . .
Article 116. Germany acknowledges and agrees to respect as permanent and inalienable the independence of all the territories which were part of the former Russian Empire on August 1, 1914.
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PART IV. GERMAN RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OUTSIDE GERMANY
Article 119. Germany renounces in favor of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers all her rights and titles over her overseas possessions. (This renunciarion includes Germany's concessions in China.) . . .
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PART V. MILITARY, NAVAL, AND AIR CLAIMS
Article 159. The German milirary forces shall be demobilized and reduced as prescribed hereinafter.
Article 160. (1) By a date which must not be later than March 31, 1920, the German Army must not comprise more than seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of cavalry.
After that date the total number of effectives in the Army of the States constituting Germany must not exceed one hundred thousand men, including of ficers and establishments of depots. The Army shall be devoted exclusively to the maintenance of order within the territory and to the control of the frontiers.
The total effective strength of officers, including the personnel of staffs, whatever their composirion, must not exceed four thousand. . . .
(3) The German General Staff and all similar organizations shall be dissolved and may not be reconstituted in any form. . . .
Article 180. All fortified works, fortresses, and field works situated in German territory to the west of a line drawn fifty kilometers to the east of the Rhine shall be disarmed and dismantled. . . .
Article 181. After the expiration of a period of two months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the German naval forces in commission must not exceed: 6 battleships of the Deutschland or Lothringen type, 6 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats, or an equal number of ships constructed to replace them as provided in Article 190.
No submarines are to be included.
All other warships, except where there is provision to the contrary in the present Treaty, must be placed in reserve or devoted to commercial purposes.. . .
Article 198. The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces. . . .
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PART VIII. REPARATION
Article 231. The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.
Article 232. The Allied and Associated Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate, after taking into account permanent diminutions of such resources which will result from other provisions of the present Treaty, to make complete reparation for all such loss and damage.
The Allied and Associated Governments, however, require, and Germany undertakes, that she will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property during the period of the belligerency of each as an Allied or Associated Power against Germany by such aggression by land, by sea and from the air, and in general all damages as defined in Annex I hereto. . . .
Article 233. The amount of the above damage for which compensation is to be made by Germany shall be determined by an Inter-AIlied Commission, to be called the Reparation Commission and constituted in the form and with the powers set forth hereunder and in Annexes II to VII inclusive hereto.
This Commission shall consider the claims and give to the German Government a just opportunity to be heard.
The findings of the Commission as to the amount of damage defined as above shall be concluded and notified to the German Government on or before May 1, 1921, as representing the extent of that Government's obligations.