Treaty+of+Versailles

=**Treaty of Versailles (1919) **=

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=**__What it Was__:**=

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The Treaty of Versailles officially ended **World War I**. The treaty dealt specifically with **Germany**, and the other defeated powers had to negotiate their own separate treaties. Once the **armistice** was signed in November 1918, which provided for a cease fire so that peace could be negotiated, a peace conference began in Paris at the Palace of Versailles. It ultimately required Germany to accept responsibility for World War I and imposed **reparations**. It also called for the establishment of the **League of Nations**, as Wilson had envisioned. The treaty failed to create a long-term environment favorable to peace. Germans resented the treaty's provisions, and that resentment helped to fuel support for the Nazis in the 1930s and a return to war in World War II. Although Americans were happy to see an end to World War I, the United States Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Republicans in the Senate were unhappy that **Wilson** had not included them in the negotiations and refused to vote in favor of the treaty. The United States never joined the League of Nations, and that organization failed to be successful in its attempts to prevent future wars.=====

=__Effects__:=

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It was not a positive thing, as it was a concession to ruin the Austro-Hungarian empire and mainly ruin Germany. It included requirements such as the **division of Austria and Hungary**, the forfeit of colonies between both powers. Germany had to give up Poland the Reinland bewtween France and Germany (from a feud from nearly 300 years ago), they also had to give up the Seudetten land in Checkaloslovakia. Additionally they had to disarm and could only maintain a skeleton army of 100,000 light infantry along with no airforce and small navy. They couldn't even station troops in the west, leaving them exposed to France. Germany also had to pay war reparations in an amount equavilant to one trillion US dollars today. This lead to **hyper inflation** and literally one german mark wouldn't buy a loaf of bread even if=====

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you had a wheel barrow full of marks. To top it off Germany, had to accept **economic sanctions.**. Finally, Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war, even though it started in Serbia. The treaty ulitmately "broke Germany's back." The **Kaiser** abdicated and a "**democratic**" government was installed. The treaty likely was a big **cause for the great depression** (it wasn't just in America) and also set the enviroment for Hitler to take advantage of the people and eventually rise to power.=====

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Signed on the The Treaty of Versailles forced the **defeated Central Powers**, consisting of **Germany and Austria Hungary**, to pay reparations. This mandate forced the Central Powers into **financial distress**. It was **rejected by the United States** because of a fear that it would **take power away from Congress** .=====



=**__Casualties__:**=

**America****:** 116,000 soldiers killed
Enemies of the Allies:

** Turkey ** : 325,000 soldiers killed ** Bulgaria ** : 100,000 soldiers killed


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