- (Versailles, Treaty of) It is believed that this treaty, signed on June 28, 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference (seven months after the armistice and the end of the 1st war), put an end to the old order in Europe. Guilt for unleashing... ... Political science. Dictionary.
TREATY OF VERSAILLES- peace treaty signed on June 28, 1919 between the Entente countries and Germany. Together with the treaties signed by the Entente countries with Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey (Saint Germain of August 10, 1920, Neuilly of November 27, 1919, ... ... Legal encyclopedia
Treaty of Versailles- between the Entente powers and Germany, signed at Versailles on June 28, 1919 and diplomatically cementing the bloody results of the imperialist war. According to this agreement, in its enslaving and predatory nature it far surpassed... ... Historical reference book of Russian Marxist
Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation)- Treaty of Versailles, Treaty of Versailles: Versailles alliance treaty(1756) offensive treaty in the war for Silesia (1756 1763). Treaty of Versailles Union (1758) Treaty of Versailles (1768) treaty between the Republic of Genoa... ... Wikipedia
TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1783- TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1783, a peace treaty signed at Versailles on September 3, 1783 between the United States and its allies France, Spain and the Netherlands, on the one hand, and Great Britain on the other. The Treaty of Versailles ended the victorious War of... encyclopedic Dictionary
TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1919- PEACE TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1919, the treaty that concluded the 1st world war. Signed at Versailles on June 28 by the victorious powers of the USA, the British Empire, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium, etc., on the one hand, and defeated Germany on the other... encyclopedic Dictionary
TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1758- TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1758, an alliance treaty between France and Austria, concluded on December 30, 1758, clarified and supplemented the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles 1756 (see TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1756). March 18, 1760 to the treaty... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Treaty of Versailles 1919- Treaty that officially ended World War I. Signed on June 28, 1919 at Versailles (France) by the United States of America, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan, as well as Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala... Encyclopedia of the Third Reich
TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1756- TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1756, a treaty of alliance between Austria and France, concluded on May 1, 1756 at Versailles; formalized the anti-Prussian coalition in the Seven Years' War (see SEVEN YEARS' WAR) of 1756-1763. Due to the strengthening of Prussia in Central Europe,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Treaty of Versailles 1919- This article is about the treaty that ended World War I. Other meanings: Treaty of Versailles (meanings). Treaty of Versailles From left to right: David Lloyd George, Vittorio Emanuel Orlando, Georges Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson... Wikipedia
Books
- Treaty of Versailles, S.W. Klyuchnikov. The Versailles Peace Treaty was intended to consolidate the redivision of the capitalist world in favor of the victorious powers. According to it, Germany returned Alsace-Lorraine to France (within the borders of 1870);... Buy for 1982 UAH (Ukraine only)
- Treaty of Versailles, S.W. Klyuchnikov. The Treaty of Versailles was intended to consolidate the redivision of the capitalist world in favor of the victorious powers. According to it, Germany returned Alsace-Lorraine to France (within the borders of 1870);...
The Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the First World War of 1914-18, was signed on June 28, 1919 in Versailles (France) by the United States of America, the British Empire (Lloyd George David - Prime Minister of Great Britain
Fourteen Points of US President William Wilson
- 1. Open peace treaties, openly discussed, after which there will be no secret international agreements of any kind, and diplomacy will always operate openly and in full view of everyone.
- 2. Absolute freedom of navigation on the seas outside territorial waters, both in peacetime and in wartime, except in cases where certain seas are partially or completely closed internationally for the implementation of international treaties.
- 3. The removal, as far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of equal terms of trade for all nations who stand for peace and unite their efforts to maintain it.
- 4. Fair guarantees that national armaments will be reduced to the utmost minimum consistent with national security.
- 5. The free, frank and absolutely impartial settlement of all colonial disputes, based on strict adherence to the principle that in the determination of all questions relating to sovereignty, the interests of the population should weigh equally against the just claims of the government whose rights are to be determined.
- 6. The liberation of all Russian territories and such a resolution of all issues affecting Russia that guarantees her the fullest and freest assistance from other nations in obtaining a full and unhindered opportunity to make an independent decision regarding her own political development, her national policy and to secure for her a warm welcome in the community of free nations, under the form of government which she shall choose for herself. And more than welcome, also all the support in everything she needs and what she desires for herself. The attitude towards Russia on the part of her sister nations in the coming months will be a touchstone of their good feelings, their understanding of her needs and ability to separate them from their own interests, as well as an indicator of their wisdom and the unselfishness of their sympathies.
- 7. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated and restored, without attempting to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys on an equal basis with all other free nations. No other action can serve more than this to restore confidence among peoples in those laws which they themselves have established and determined as a guide for their mutual relations. Without this healing act, all construction and all action international law will be forever stricken.
- 8. All French territory must be liberated and the occupied parts returned, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in relation to Alsace-Lorraine, which disturbed the world peace for almost 50 years, must be corrected so that peaceful relations can again be established in the interests of everyone.
- 9. The rectification of Italy's borders must be carried out on the basis of clearly distinguishable national borders.
- 10. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place in the League of Nations we want to see protected and secured, must be given the broadest opportunity autonomous development.
- 11. Romania, Serbia and Montenegro must be evacuated. Occupied territories must be returned. Serbia must be given free and reliable access to the sea. The relations of the various Balkan states must be determined in a friendly manner in accordance with the historically established principles of affiliation and nationality. International guarantees must be established for the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of the various Balkan states.
- 12. The Turkish parts of the Ottoman Empire, in its present composition, must receive secure and lasting sovereignty, but other nationalities now under Turkish rule must receive an unequivocal guarantee of existence and absolutely inviolable conditions for autonomous development. The Dardanelles must be constantly open to the free passage of ships and trade of all nations under international guarantees.
- 13. An independent Polish state must be created, which must include all territories with an undeniably Polish population, which must be provided with free and reliable access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence, as well as territorial integrity, must be guaranteed by an international treaty .
- 14. A general association of nations should be formed on the basis of special statutes for the purpose of creating a mutual guarantee of the political independence and territorial integrity of both large and small states.
Wilson's speech caused a mixed reaction, both in the United States and its allies. France wanted reparations from Germany because French industry and Agriculture were destroyed by the war, and Great Britain, as the most powerful naval power, did not want freedom of navigation. Wilson made compromises with Clemenceau, Lloyd George and other European leaders during the Paris peace negotiations, trying to ensure that Clause 14 was implemented and the League of Nations was created. In the end, the agreement on the League of Nations was defeated by Congress, and in Europe only 4 of the 14 theses were implemented.
The purpose of the Treaty of Versailles was, firstly, the redistribution of the world in favor of the victorious powers and, secondly, the prevention of a possible future military threat from Germany. In general, the articles of the agreement can be divided into several groups.
Germany lost part of its lands in Europe:
Alsace and Lorraine were returned to France (within the borders of 1870);
Belgium - the districts of Malmedy and Eupen, as well as the so-called neutral and Prussian parts of the Morenet;
Poland - Poznan, part of Pomerania and other territories of West Prussia;
The city of Danzig (Gdansk) and its district was declared a “free city”;
The city of Memel (Klaipeda) was transferred to the jurisdiction of the victorious powers (in February 1923 it was annexed to Lithuania).
Nationality of Schleswig, southern part East Prussia and Upper Silesia was to be determined by a plebiscite (from the Latin plebiscitum: plebs - common people + scitum - decision, decree - one of the types of popular vote, in international relations it is used when polling the population of a territory about its membership in a particular state).
part of Schleswig passed to Denmark (1920);
part of Upper Silesia - to Poland (1921);
also a small section of Silesian territory went to Czechoslovakia;
the southern part of East Prussia remained with Germany.
Germany also retained its original Polish lands - on the right bank of the Oder, Lower Silesia, most of Upper Silesia, etc. The Saarland came under the control of the League of Nations for 15 years, after this period the fate of the Saarland was also to be decided by a plebiscite. During this period, the coal mines of the Saar (the richest coal basin in Europe) were transferred to the ownership of France.
2. Germany lost all its colonies, which were later divided among the main victorious powers. The redistribution of the German colonies was carried out as follows:
Tanganyika became a British mandate;
the Ruanda-Urundi region is a Belgian mandate;
- The “Kionga Triangle” (South-East Africa) was transferred to Portugal (the named territories previously constituted German East Africa); - Great Britain and France divided Togo and Cameroon; - South Africa received a mandate for South-West Africa;
France received a protectorate over Morocco;
Germany refused all treaties and agreements with Liberia;
On the Pacific Ocean
The German-owned islands north of the equator were assigned to Japan as mandated territories;
to the Commonwealth of Australia - German New Guinea; - to New Zealand - Samoa Islands.
Germany's rights in relation to Jiaozhou and the entire Shandong province of China were transferred to Japan (as a result of which the Treaty of Versailles was not signed by China);
Germany also renounced all concessions and privileges in China, the rights of consular jurisdiction and all property in Siam.
Germany recognized the independence of all territories that were part of the former Russian Empire by August 1, 1914, as well as the abolition of all treaties concluded by it with the Soviet government (including the Brest-Litovsk Treaty of 1918). Germany pledged to recognize all treaties and agreements of the Allied and Associated Powers with states that were formed or are being formed in all or part of the territories of the former Russian Empire.
- 3. Germany recognized and pledged to strictly observe the independence of Austria, and also recognized the complete independence of Poland and Czechoslovakia. The entire German part of the left bank of the Rhine and a strip of the right bank 50 km wide were subject to demilitarization, creating the so-called Rhine demilitarized zone.
- 4. The German armed forces were limited to 100 thousand. land army; mandatory military service was cancelled, the bulk of the remaining navy was to be transferred to the winners. Germany was obliged to compensate in the form of reparations for losses incurred by the governments and individual citizens of the Entente countries as a result of military actions (the determination of the amount of reparations was entrusted to a special Reparations Commission).
- 5. Articles relating to the establishment of the League of Nations
The refusal of the American Congress to ratify the Treaty of Versailles actually meant a return of the United States to the policy of isolationism. At this time in the USA there was strong opposition to the policies of the Democratic Party and personally to President William Wilson. American conservatives believed that accepting serious political and military obligations to European countries would condemn the United States to unjustified financial costs and (in case of war) human casualties. The benefits of intervention in European problems (facilitated access to the markets of European countries and mandated territories of Africa and Asia, recognition of the United States as the leading power in the world, etc.) did not seem obvious and sufficient to Wilson’s opponents.
The isolationist opposition was led by the leadership of the US Republican Party. The President was accused that the Charter of the League of Nations limited the Congress in some ways in the field of foreign policy. Particularly irritating was the provision on the adoption of collective measures in cases of aggression. Opponents of the League called it an “obligation,” an attempt on American independence, and a dictate from Britain and France.
The debate in Congress about the Treaty of Versailles began on July 10, 1919 and lasted more than eight months. After the introduction of 48 amendments and 4 reservations by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the changes made to the treaty turned out to be so serious that they actually began to contradict the agreements reached in Paris. But even this did not change the situation: on March 19, 1920, despite all the amendments made, the Senate rejected the resolution to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Thus, the United States, which was turning into the strongest country in the world, legally and in many ways actually found itself outside the Versailles order. This circumstance could not but affect the prospects for international development.
The economic, territorial and political interests of European countries at the turn of the 20th century intersected in many directions. The struggle for influence in the international arena goes beyond diplomatic relations; this is a prerequisite for the outbreak of an armed conflict. The First World War was started to redistribute spheres of influence by the world's largest powers. Its results were disastrous for the economies of all participating countries (except the USA and Japan), but the new order led to even more dire consequences. The Treaty of Versailles, signed with great difficulty, turned out to be a time bomb.
War
The emergence of a military alliance called the Entente was due to the growing influence of the German Empire in the European political and economic arenas. Initially, the bloc includes France and Russia, which enter into an exclusively military-political agreement; later Great Britain joins, having lost the primacy of its handicraft production by the beginning of the century. The central part of Europe is occupied by Austria-Hungary, which is balancing on the brink of internecine war due to its multinational composition, but at the same time is in confrontation with a larger and stronger neighbor - Russia. Germany is developing rapidly, compared to its European neighbors, its colonial possessions are too small, so the intentions are obvious. The Italians, Austrians and Hungarians joined the Germans as an ally. The balance of power changed with the course of hostilities; a total of 38 countries took part in them. The First World War began in 1914, it lasted 5 years and ended in November 1918. Military operations took place on the western, eastern front and in the colonies. Germany and its allies launch an offensive in 1914 quite successfully, capturing Luxembourg and Belgium. The French army is trying to hold back the onslaught through bloody battles, Russia is quite successful in operating in the eastern direction, capturing Prussia. In 1915-16, the most tragic events took place: the Battle of Verdun and the Brusilov breakthrough, which became the last success of the Russian imperial troops. As a result of the Americans joining the Entente armies, the course of the war changes. Germany's allies sign a peace treaty with the victorious states, this forces the Germans to surrender. The tragic events that blew up the Russian Empire from the inside took it out of the war in 1917 and left it outside international economic and political relations for a long period. The Treaty of Versailles is a documentary reflection of the end of the world war.
Consequences
In fact, by 1918, the entire industry and agriculture of European states had been reoriented towards military needs. During the war, more than 60% of enterprises were destroyed, thousands of hectares of agricultural land could not be used for their intended purpose. The loss of the main resource - human life - is difficult to estimate; more than 10 million people died, the number of disabled and unemployed people is incalculable. The demographic situation in Europe was on the verge of collapse. Economic ties between countries and enterprises were lost, the entire international trade and economic infrastructure collapsed, its foundation - production - ceased to exist. Hunger, chaos and devastation reigned on the territory of the countries that won the war and those that lost the war. The gold and foreign exchange reserves of the parties to the confrontation were exhausted; the United States became the main creditor for all parties to the conflict. Throughout the conflict, they sold military equipment, food and everything that was needed to support the troops and population during the war. As an outside observer, the United States was able to boost its industry and earn enormous capital. In Europe, some of the previously existing countries were unable to cope with huge losses and ceased to exist: the Ottoman, German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires. The terms of the Versailles peace treaty did indeed contribute to a new division of Europe, but not according to the German scenario. For the military-industrial complex, the First World War became a catalyst in the process of creating and using new types of weapons. Machine guns, tanks, grenades, bombers and fighters significantly changed the tactics and strategy of military operations. The first use of chemical weapons allowed all countries to draw the right conclusion and abandon their use. There have never been more violent clashes in world history; the massive destruction of enemy forces led to huge losses on all sides of the conflict.
Russia
The First World War caused changes in the world economic and political system. Russian Empire was assigned to initial stage a leading role in the military actions of the Entente against the Triple Alliance, but at the same time our country at the time of involvement in the conflict did not have any special geopolitical motives. The resource base allowed the state not to fight for colonial possessions, to expand the territory through neighboring countries there was no reason. Nicholas II was forced to enter the war because of the military-political treaties that existed at that time with England and France; this decision cost him his throne and his life. The army and rear structures of the Russian Empire were unable to wage a protracted war; the initiative on the eastern front quickly passed to the enemy army. Part of the territory of Ukraine, the Baltic states and Belarus were captured by German troops. In 1916, the Russian army was able to restore its functionality and partially draw back enemy forces from the western front, preventing the capture of Paris. On French territory, at the cost of huge losses, several cities previously occupied by the Germans were liberated. The last significant victory was the Brusilov breakthrough, in which the Austro-Hungarian army was defeated by the Russian imperial troops. Meanwhile, dissatisfaction with the tsar’s policies is growing within the country, and he is rapidly losing the trust of the people. Against the backdrop of military actions that are not victorious, restrictions and hunger, a revolution occurs. The new government begins to solve internal problems and emerges from the global conflict on unfavorable terms. The peace treaty concluded with Germany is a shameful flight that many officers and soldiers did not accept. Some of the imperial troops fought on the fields of the First World War as part of the Allied formations of the Entente, considering it a duty of honor. A period of international isolation began for Soviet Russia; most world powers considered the Bolshevik government illegitimate, so the Treaty of Versailles was signed without the participation of the Russians. This will play a huge role in the future not only in the development of our country, but also in the global political and economic system.
Germany
Possessing a fairly powerful army, navy and great ambitions, Wilhelm II pursued an aggressive foreign policy. Germany, having Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire as its allies, could not conduct military operations on two fronts at the same time. According to the Germans' calculations, they had to capture France in a short time, and then switch to destroying the forces of the Russian Empire. The emphasis was on speed and support from the countries of the Triple Alliance. At the same time, in fact, German troops were forced to operate in the Balkans, Africa, Europe and Asia. This is explained by the great maneuverability and combat effectiveness of German formations. Virtually all naval operations involving the troops of the Triple Alliance were carried out under the leadership of the officers of the German Empire. In 1915, a massive offensive against the French capital was thwarted due to the inability of the Austro-Hungarian army to hold positions on the eastern front. In fact, Germany was defeated in World War I due to economic reasons. For four years, all the production and agricultural capacities of the state worked for the needs of the army. Famine and war led to a revolution that ended with a mutiny among the troops and the overthrow of William II in November 1918. At the same time, Germany admits defeat and concludes a truce with the Entente countries (without Russia, which as a result of the revolution became known as the USSR).
Treaty of Versailles
The peaceful resolution of the military conflict was a long process of reconciling the contradictions of the victorious countries. The Entente, expanded to include Japan and the United States, began to redistribute Europe and colonial possessions in Africa and the Far East. The treaties of the Versailles system were supposed to ensure the independence and stability of the states that won the First World War, while the interests of the losing countries were infringed through financial instruments and territorial annexations. An international conference was held in Paris in 1919-1920. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919. Its main articles were positions on which consensus was reached at the international conference. The document came into force in January 1920. His project was proposed by Wilson (the then current US President) in 1918. The essence of the Treaty of Versailles in its original version was the redistribution of spheres of influence of the victorious countries, in particular the United States. At the same time, dominance in Europe was necessary for the Americans due to economic indicators, but the allied states had their own interests. The document was supposed to limit the influence of all countries participating in the conflict, not only on the losing side, the leader of which was Germany. The Treaty of Versailles created a group of independent states in central Europe that served as a buffer zone between Soviet Russia and the Western European powers. To maintain peace and prevent potential conflicts, the document created a special organization called the League of Nations. The Treaty of Versailles was ratified by the Entente: Great Britain, France, Japan, and by the Triple Alliance: Germany. In 1921, the Americans created the Versailles-Washington treaty system, which, in essence, did not differ from the original version, but excluded participation in the League of Nations. Germany was forced to sign it too.
The League of nations
The Treaty of Versailles is the document on the basis of which the first international organization, designed to regulate relations between countries through diplomacy. During its existence, the League of Nations created several commissions that specialized in analyzing the situation in specific areas: women's rights, drug trafficking, refugees, etc. At various times, it included 58 countries, the founders of which were France, Spain, and Great Britain. The last meeting of the Council of the League of Nations took place in 1946. Many international institutions that exist today are its successors and continuers of traditions: UNESCO, the UN, the International Court of Justice, the World Health Organization.
Division of Europe
The main terms of the Treaty of Versailles implied the separation of part of German territory in favor of the victorious countries and newly formed states created after the collapse of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Most of them had anti-Soviet governments and were used as a buffer against Bolshevism. Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Yugoslavia have gone through a difficult path of internal political settlement. Under the terms of the agreement, Germany allocated: Poland - 43 thousand km 2, Denmark - 4 thousand km 2, France - more than 14 thousand km 2, Lithuania - 2.4 thousand km 2. The 50-kilometer zone of the left bank of the Rhine River was subject to demilitarization, that is, it was actually occupied by enemy troops for 15 years. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, concluded between Germany and Soviet Russia, was annulled, which led to the return of the occupied lands (partially Belarus, Transcaucasia, Ukraine). The Saarland is placed under the administration of the League of Nations, with the use of coal mines by France. The Gdansk district was declared a free city. Germany lost all its colonial possessions, which were distributed among the victorious countries. Protectorate rights over Egypt and Morocco were transferred to England and France respectively. Chinese territories leased by Germany for 99 years were transferred to Japan, which is why the largest delegation left the international conference and did not sign the Treaty of Versailles. Briefly, the main provisions were rejected in favor of the winners, 70 thousand km 2, on which more than 5,000 people lived.
Restrictions
As a result of German military aggression, many territories of the central, eastern and Western Europe, reparations in their favor were also reflected in the Treaty of Versailles. The articles of the document did not contain specific figures; they were determined by a specially created commission. The total volume of payments at the initial stage was approximately 100 thousand tons of gold. Restrictions were also imposed on the armed forces of the aggressor country. Mandatory conscription was abolished, all military equipment was transferred to the Entente countries, and the number of ground forces was stipulated. In fact, Germany, from the most influential country in Western Europe, became a powerless member of international relations. The living conditions of the population and constant pressure from the victors allowed the Nazi regime to come to power in 1933 and create a more powerful totalitarian state, which later, with the help of the USA and England, would become a counterweight in the secret war with the USSR. According to the conclusions of many historians, the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was an armistice that led to a new war. The Germans were humiliated by the terms of the document, they lost the war without allowing a single enemy soldier onto their territory, and at the same time remained the only aggressor country that bore the brunt of economic and military-political restrictions.
Disagreements
The Versailles-Washington treaty system actually worsened the relationship between the former allies. The Americans and the British sought to reduce the burden of Germany's obligations with the help of the Young Plan, which helped speed up the recovery of the country's economy and industry by 1929. Hoping to acquire a reliable ally in the fight against the USSR, the United States invested quite large sums into the restoration of the former aggressor. England sought to reduce the level of influence of France in the European arena, which, through reparations, practically restored the economy within five years. At this time, Germany finds an unexpected ally - the USSR. Two large states that have fallen out of the system of international relations are uniting. And for a long time they have been cooperating quite effectively in the field of creating military equipment, trade, and food supplies. Japan is beginning to increase its appetites in the Far East and China; there is no unity among the allies; each country pursues its own interests. The Treaty of Versailles is violated primarily by its creators, who were preparing for peace, but ended up with a new war.
Failure
The structure of the world system after the end of the First World War, based on the points of the Treaty of Versailles, contained many contradictions. It is impossible to ensure control of the situation by excluding one sixth from international relations globe. The concept of the 14 points of the document had an anti-Russian (anti-Soviet) orientation. Consent and equality are the basic principles of any contract. A special role in the failure of the peace agreements was played by negative economic factors that are associated with the process of cyclical development of any system. While the leading imperialist powers were busy with their own economies, Germany not only learned to maneuver and circumvent the Versailles agreements, but also created a new regime of aggression. To a large extent, this was due to the principle of non-interference by the countries of the former Entente in its military policy. The creation of a new war machine was welcomed by the former allies, as they hoped to direct its aggression to the east. The United States, in turn, decided to increase the growth rate of its own economy through a new war in Europe.
The Treaty of Versailles is an important international document of the beginning of the last century, which marked the end of the First World War and established the order of the post-war world order. Its conclusion took place on June 28, 1919 between the Entente states (France, England and America) and the defeated German Empire. Together with the agreements subsequently signed with the German allies and the documents adopted at the conference in Washington, the treaty became the beginning of the Versailles-Washington system of international relations.
What were the goals of the document and who signed it?
The first world war in human history ended in the fall of 1918 with the signing of the Compiegne Armistice, which provided for a cessation of hostilities. However, in order to finally sum up the bloody events and develop the principles of the post-war world order, representatives of the victorious powers needed several more months. The document that sealed the end of the war was the Treaty of Versailles, signed during the Paris Conference. It was concluded on June 28, 1919 in the former royal estate of Versailles, located near the French capital. The signatories of the treaty were representatives of England, France and America (the Entente states) on the side of the winners and Germany on the side of the losing state.
Russia, which also took part in the war on the side of the Entente bloc and lost millions of its citizens in battles, was not allowed to attend the Paris Peace Conference due to the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Germans in 1918 and, accordingly, did not take part in the preparation and signing of the document. .
Thanks to the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty, a new system of post-war world order was established, the goal of which was to quickly revive the economies of the victorious powers and prevent another global military conflict. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles became the subject of long negotiations and discussions between representatives of the victorious states. Each country sought to extract as much benefit as possible from the signing of the future document, so it took the participants of the Paris Conference many weeks to draw up its general provisions. Finally, at the end of June 1919, after long secret meetings, the conditions Treaty of Versailles were drawn up and agreed upon between the countries that fought on the side of the Entente.
Great Britain Great BritainFrance
Italy
USA USA(did not ratify the Treaty)
Japan
Treaty of Versailles- a treaty signed on June 28, 1919 at the Palace of Versailles in France, officially ending the First World War -1918. After lengthy secret meetings, the terms of the treaty were worked out at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920 and the peace treaty was signed between representatives of the victorious countries on one side: the United States of America, the British Empire, France, Italy and Japan, as well as Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil , Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hijaz, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Czechoslovakia, Uruguay and capitulated Germany - on the other. Peace treaties between the Entente countries and other states that fought on the fronts of the First World War on the side of Germany were signed later: with Austria (Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919)) - September 10, 1919, with Bulgaria (Treaty of Neuilly) - November 27, 1919 year, by Hungary (Treaty of Trianon) - June 4, 1920, by the Ottoman Empire (Treaty of Sèvres) - August 10, 1920. Later the Treaty of Sèvres of 1920 replaced Treaty of Lausanne 1923- one of the main final documents of the Lausanne Conference of 1922-1923, signed on July 24, 1923 by Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Greece, Romania, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, on the one hand, and Turkey, on the other. The Treaty of Versailles came into force on January 10, 1920, after it was ratified by Germany and the four main Allied powers - Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan. Among the countries that signed the peace treaty, three states - the United States, Hijaz and Ecuador - subsequently refused to ratify it. Due to the reluctance of the United States to commit itself to participation in the League of Nations, which at that time was dominated by the influence of Great Britain and France and whose charter was an integral part of the Treaty of Versailles, the US Senate refused to ratify this peace treaty. Later, in August 1921, US diplomats concluded a special treaty with Germany, almost identical to the Versailles Peace Treaty, but did not contain articles relating to the League of Nations.
Agreement conditions
The question of the statehood of Schleswig, southern East Prussia and Upper Silesia was to be decided by plebiscite. As a result, part of Schleswig passed to Denmark in 1920, part of Upper Silesia in 1921 to Poland (see: Upper Silesian Plebiscite), the southern part of East Prussia remained with Germany (see: Warmian-Masurian Plebiscite); A small section of Silesian territory (Gluczyn region) was transferred to Czechoslovakia.
Under the treaty, Germany recognized and pledged to strictly observe the independence of Austria, and also recognized the full independence of Poland and Czechoslovakia. The entire German part of the left bank of the Rhine and a strip of the right bank 50 km wide were subject to demilitarization. As a guarantee of Germany's compliance with Part XIV of the Treaty, a condition was put forward for the temporary occupation of part of the territory of the Rhine River basin allied forces for 15 years.
Redistribution of German colonies
Germany lost all of its colonies, which were later divided among the main victorious powers based on the League of Nations mandate system.
Germany, according to the Treaty of Versailles, renounced all concessions and privileges in China, the rights of consular jurisdiction and any type of property in Siam, all treaties and agreements with Liberia, and recognized the protectorate of France over Morocco and Great Britain over Egypt. Germany's rights in relation to Jiao-Zhou and the entire Shandong province of China were transferred to Japan (as a result of this, the Treaty of Versailles was not signed by China).
Reparations and restrictions on the military
English newspaper Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper announces the signing of an agreement
On October 3, 2010, Germany, with the last tranche of 70 million euros, completed the payment of reparations imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles (269 billion gold marks - the equivalent of approximately 100 thousand tons of gold). Payments stopped after Hitler came to power, and were resumed after the London Treaty of 1953.
Consequences regarding Russia
According to Article 116, Germany recognized “the independence of all territories that were part of the former Russian Empire on August 1, 1914,” as well as the abolition of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty of 1918 and all other treaties it concluded with the Bolshevik government. Article 117 of the Treaty of Versailles called into question the legitimacy of the Bolshevik regime in Russia and obliged Germany to recognize all treaties and agreements of the Allied and Associated Powers with states that “were or are being formed in all or part of the territories of the former Russian Empire.”
Compliance with the contract
After the Nazis came to power, the restrictions imposed on Germany were not properly enforced by the European powers, or their violations were deliberately allowed to get away with it. Examples include the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the Anschluss of Austria, the annexation of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia and the subsequent occupation of Bohemia and Moravia.
Territories seized from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles
| Acquiring States | Area, km² | Population, thousand people |
|---|---|---|
