The End of The War
The Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919)
Treaty and protocol signed at Versailles June 28, 1919; protocol signed by Germany at Paris January 10, 1920 Treaty submitted to the Senate by the President of the United States for advice and consent to ratification July 10, 1919; 1 Senate resolutions to advise and consent to ratification failed of adoption November 19,1919,2 and March 19, 1920; 3 treaty returned to the President pursuant to resolution of March 19, 1920 4 Protocol of June 28, 1919, submitted to the Senate by the President of the United States July 31, 1919; 5 considered by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and laid aside without action on February 10, 1920; 6 returned to the Secretary of State pursuant to Senate resolution of February 12, 1935 7 Proces-verbal of first deposit of ratifications at Paris dated January 10, 1920, Entered into force January 10,1920,4:15 p.m., as between contracting parties (the United States was not a party) 8 Revised from time to time by the contracting parties 1919 For. ReI. (Paris Peace Conference, XIII) 55, 740, 743; Senate document 51, 66th Congress, 1stsession THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE BRITISH EMPIRE, FRANCE, ITALY and JAPAN, These Powers being described in the present Treaty as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, BELGIUM, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CHINA, CUBA, ECUADOR, GREECE, GUATEMALA, HAITI, THE HEDJAZ, HONDURAS, LIBERIA, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, 1 S. Doc. 49, 66th Cong., 1st sess. (text of treaty); S. Doc. 50, 66th Cong., 1st sess. (address of the President to the Senate delivered on July 10, 1919). • Congressional Record, Nov. 19, 1919 (vol. 58, pt. 9), p. 8786 fT. • Ibid., Mar. 19,1920 (vol. 59, pt. 5), p. 4598 fr. 'Ibid., Mar. 19, 1920 (vol. 59, pt. 5), p. 4600; filed with Unperfected Treaties 1-5 (Department of State archives). G S. Ex. A, 66th Cong., 1st sess.; S. Doc. 66, 66th Cong., 1st sess. congressional Record, Feb. 10, 1920 (vol. 59, pt. 3), p. 2678. 7 Ibid., Feb. 12, 1935 (vol. 79, pt. 2), p. 1825; filed with Unperfected Treaties G-9 and 1-5 (Department of State archives). e For the treaty of Aug. 25, 1921, restoring friendly relations between the United States and Gennany, see TS 658, post. 43
The Treaty of Versailles, in short, was a treaty signed by Germany to stop fighting against the allied powers. The Germans Pov was that fighting against the allied powers wasn't worth the trouble. The allied powers (France, England, U.S.) didn't want to continue fighting due to all the death and destruction caused. So all the nations were relieved when Germany finally agreed to have peace. But the end of WW1 was caused by the signing of this treaty.
President Woodrow Wilson, speech on the League of Nations ( September 8, 1919)
For the first time in history, the counsels of mankind are to be drawn together and concerted for the purpose of defending the rights and improving the conditions of working people - men, women, and children - all over the world. Such a thing as that was never dreamed of before, and what you are asked to discuss in discussing the League of Nations is the matter of seeing that this thing is not interfered with. There is no other way to do it than by a universal league of nations, and what is proposed is a universal league of nations.
Only two nations are for the time being left out. One of them is Germany because we did not think that Germany was ready to come in because we felt that she ought to go through a period of probation. She says that she made a mistake. We now want her to prove it by not trying it again. She says that she has abolished all the old forms of government by which little secret councils of men, sitting nobody knew exactly where, determined the fortunes of that
great nation and, incidentally, tried to determine the fortunes of mankind; but we want her to prove that her constitution is changed and that it is going to stay changed; and then who can, after those proofs are produced, say "No" to a great people, 60 million strong, if they want to come in on equal terms with the rest of us and do justice in international affairs?
I want to say that I did not find any of my colleagues in Paris disinclined to do justice to Germany. But I hear that this treaty is very hard on Germany. When an individual has committed a criminal act, the punishment is hard, but the punishment is not unjust. This nation permitted itself, through unscrupulous governors to commit a criminal act against mankind, and it is to undergo the punishment, not more than it can endure but up to the point where it can pay it must pay for the wrong that it has done.
But the things prescribed in this treaty will not be fully carried out if any one of the great influences that brought that result about is withheld from its consummation. Every great fighting nation in the world is on the list of those who are to constitute the League of Nations. I say every great nation, because America is going to be included among them, and the only choice my fellow citizens is whether we will go in now or come in later with Germany; whether we will go in as founders of this covenant of freedom or go in as those who are admitted after they have made a mistake and repented.
The league of nations was thought up by Woodrow Wilson. woodrow Wilson would do anything for his nation and wanted to make sure that the league of nations would help the United States not effect it. The league of nations was signed by 44 states including some that were in the war and that was a huge accomplishment for Wilson. Woodrow Wilsons Pov on everything was that he wanted peace and for the United States to stay out of war and stay in peace. Thus the reason for his creation of the league of nations.