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The Treaty of Versailles: Successes, Failures, and Alternative Approaches

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Things That Worked in the Treaty of Versailles

Being recognized as one of the most influential historical documents, the Treaty of Versailles provoked certain positive shifts at the international level. The guilt of Germany was evident in World War I, and it was correctly chosen to make the country and its allies responsible for the loss and damage as the major consequences of the war (Desai and Desai 207). Another element that worked well was the decision to reduce the armed forces of Germany and imposed financial obligations to repair the Allied nations (Pruitt para. 5). The treaty was necessary to pay the war debts and enforced disarmament, which brought peace in Europe to initiate rebuilding and national improvement.

Things That Did Not Work in the Treaty of Versailles

Despite multiple peaceful intentions, the treaty was known for its harsh conditions regarding Germany. Although one country could initiate a war, its continuation and progress usually depend on how other nations treat and manage it. According to the Treaty of Versailles, several nations had to take responsibility, but actually, Germany was the only country accused of this, with about 90% of clauses directed to a single nation (Desai and Desai 207). As a result, Germans became furious about the imposed “diktat” and did not find it necessary to pay the debts or follow all the statements (Pruitt para. 9). As soon as those things in the treaty did not work, the negative outcomes like the Great Depression and World War II were inevitable.

How Things Might Have Been Done Differently

One of the most evident changes should be related to the number of nations involved in paying the war debt and damage. According to Desai and Desai, international inflation negatively affected the German currency and made it worthless: 42 billion marks per one American cent (209). It was impossible for one nation with such an unstable economic situation to help other nations recover. Another issue for consideration is the role of Austria-Hungary in the European conflict: instead of blaming Germany for all war causes, Europe should have analyzed the contributions of Austria-Hungary that actually initiated military actions (Pruitt para. 11). Humiliation of Germany and no attention to other international provokers had to be treated differently to avoid the mistakes related to the Treaty of Versailles.

Works Cited

Desai, Bharat H., and Jay B. Desai. “On the Century of Peacemaking at the 1919 Treaty of Versailles: Looking Back to Look Ahead.” International Studies, vol. 57, no. 3, 2020, pp. 201-222. Web.

Pruitt, Sarah. “How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II.” History, 2019. Web.

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StudyCorgi. "The Treaty of Versailles: Successes, Failures, and Alternative Approaches." February 21, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/the-treaty-of-versailles-successes-failures-and-alternative-approaches/.

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StudyCorgi. 2025. "The Treaty of Versailles: Successes, Failures, and Alternative Approaches." February 21, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/the-treaty-of-versailles-successes-failures-and-alternative-approaches/.

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