Why was the Treaty of Versailles the main mistake of the Allies? Treaty of Versailles Treaty of Versailles

PART II On behalf of the Zaporozhian Cossacks in 1919. in the fight against Denials (8.IX.-4.XII.

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 severe 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 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 European states were 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. At the initial stage, the Russian Empire was assigned a leading role in the military actions of the Entente against the Triple Alliance, but our country did not have any special geopolitical motives at the time of its involvement in the conflict. The resource base allowed the state not to fight for colonial possessions; there was no reason to expand the territory at the expense of neighboring countries. 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 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

Having enough powerful army, fleet 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 troops of the Triple Alliance were carried out under the leadership officers 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 at the expense of Japan and the United States, began to redistribute Europe and colonial possessions in Africa, into 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 the territory central Europe, which 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 was created, 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. Its members include: different time included 58 countries, the founders were France, Spain, and Great Britain. The last meeting of the Council of the League of Nations took place in 1946. Many existing today international institutions are its legal successors and continuers of traditions: UNESCO, UN, International Court of Justice, 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 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, the number of ground forces. 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 aggravated the relationship between 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 who 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, 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 a sixth of the globe from international relations. 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.

PEACE TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1919 - a treaty that officially ended the First World War of 1914-1918. Signed at Versailles (France) on June 28, 1919 by Germany, which was defeated in the war, on the one hand, and by the “allied and united powers” ​​that won the war, on the other: the USA, the British Empire, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil , Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hijaz, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbo-Croatian-Slovenian State, Siam, Czechoslovakia and Uruguay. The treaty was signed on behalf of the USA by W. Wilson, R. Lansing, Mr. White and others, on behalf of the British Empire - by Lloyd George, E. B. Lowe, A. J. Balfour and others, on behalf of France - by J. Clemenceau, S. Pichon, A. Tardieu, J. Cambon and others, from Italy - S. Sonnino, G. Imperiali, S. Crespi, from Japan - Saionji, Makino, Sinda, Matsui and others, from Germany - Mr. Muller, Dr. Bell . The Treaty of Versailles was intended to consolidate the redivision of the capitalist world in favor of the victorious powers to the detriment of Germany. The Treaty of Versailles was largely directed against the world's first Soviet state, as well as against the international revolutionary movement working class. The Treaty of Versailles, V.I. Lenin pointed out, is “... a treaty of predators and robbers,” “this is an unheard-of, predatory peace that puts tens of millions of people, including the most civilized, in the position of slaves” (Oc., vol. 31, p. 301).

Of the states that signed the Treaty of Versailles, the United States, Hijaz and Ecuador refused to ratify it. The American Senate, under the influence of isolationists, refused to ratify the Versailles Peace Treaty due to the reluctance of the United States to bind itself to participation in the League of Nations (where the influence of England and France prevailed), the charter of which was an inextricable part of the Versailles Peace Treaty. In place of the Versailles Peace Treaty, the United States concluded a special treaty with Germany in August 1921, almost identical to the Versailles Peace Treaty, but did not contain articles on the League of Nations. Due to the fact that the Versailles Peace Treaty contained provisions on the transfer of Japan to the Chinese province of Shandong, China refused to sign the Versailles Peace Treaty.

The Treaty of Versailles came into force on January 10, 1920, after it was ratified by Germany and the four main Allied powers - England, France, Italy and Japan. The conclusion of the Versailles Peace Treaty was preceded by lengthy secret negotiations, which became especially intense after the Compiegne Armistice of 1918 between Germany and the main Allied powers. The terms of the treaty were worked out at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920.

The Treaty of Versailles consisted of 440 articles and one protocol. It was divided into 15 parts, which, in turn, were divided into departments. Part 1 (Articles 1-26) set out the charter of the League of Nations. Parts 2 (Articles 27-30) and 3 (Articles 31-117) were devoted to the description and outline of the borders of Germany with Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Denmark, and also dealt with the political devices of Europe. In accordance with these articles of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany transferred to Belgium the districts of Malmedy and Eupen, as well as the so-called neutral and Prussian parts of Morena, Poland - Poznan, parts of Pomerania (Pomerania) and West Prussia, returned Alsace-Lorraine to France (within the borders that existed before the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871), recognized Luxembourg as having left the German Customs Association; The city of Danzig (Gdansk) 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); to Czechoslovakia did not move away from Germany most of Silesia. The original Polish lands - on the right bank of the Oder, Lower Silesia, most of Upper Silesia, etc. - remained with Germany. Question about state belonging to Schleswig, separated from Denmark in 1864 (see Danish War of 1864), the southern part East Prussia and Upper Silesia had to be resolved by plebiscite (as a result, part of Schleswig passed to Denmark in 1920, part of Upper Silesia in 1921 to Poland, the southern part of East Prussia remained with Germany). Based on Art. 45 “as compensation for the destruction of coal mines in the north of France,” Germany transferred to France “full and unlimited ownership ... of coal mines located in the Saar Basin,” which passed for 15 years under the control of a special commission of the League of Nations. After this period, a plebiscite of the population of the Saarland was to decide future fate this area (in 1935 it became part of Germany). By Articles 80-93, concerning Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, the German government recognized and pledged to strictly observe the independence of these states. 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. According to Art. 116, 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 both the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty of 1918 and all other treaties concluded by it with the Soviet government. Art. 117 revealed the plans of the authors of the Versailles Peace Treaty, designed to defeat Soviet power and dismemberment of the territory of the former Russian Empire, and obligated Germany to recognize all treaties and agreements that the allied and associated powers would conclude with states “that were formed and are being formed on the territory of the former Russian Empire.” This article had a special anti-Soviet orientation.

Part 4 of the Versailles Peace Treaty (Articles 118-158), concerning German rights and interests outside Germany, deprived it of all colonies, which were later divided between the main victorious powers on the basis of the League of Nations mandate system: England and France divided among themselves parts of Togo and Cameroon (Africa); Japan received a mandate for German-owned islands Pacific Ocean north of the equator. In addition, all German rights in relation to Jiaozhou and the entire Shandong Province were transferred to Japan. China; thus, the treaty provided for the plunder of China in favor of imperialist Japan. The Ruanda-Urundi region (Africa) passed to Belgium as a mandate territory, South-West Africa became a mandate territory of the Union of South Africa, the German part of New Guinea was transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia, Samoa - New Zealand, the "Kionga Triangle" (South-Eastern Africa) was transferred to Portugal. Germany renounced its advantages in Liberia, Siam, China, and recognized the protectorate of England over Egypt and France over Morocco.

Parts 5-8 of the Versailles Peace Treaty (Articles 159-247) were devoted to issues related to limiting the size of the German armed forces, the punishment of war criminals and the situation of German prisoners of war, as well as reparations. The German army was not to exceed 100 thousand people and, according to the plans of the authors of the Treaty of Versailles, was intended exclusively for the fight against the revolutionary movement within the country; compulsory military service was abolished; the bulk of the remaining German navy was to be transferred to the winners. Germany pledged to compensate the Allies for losses incurred by the governments and individual citizens of the Entente countries as a result of military actions.

Parts 9-10 (Articles 248-312) dealt with financial and economic issues and provided for Germany’s obligation to transfer to its allies the gold and other valuables it received during the war from Turkey, Austria-Hungary (as collateral for loans), as well as from Russia (according to the Brest-Litovsk Treaty of 1918) and Romania (according to the Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1918). Germany had to annul all treaties and agreements of an economic nature that it had concluded with Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, as well as with Romania and Russia.

Parts 11-12 (Articles 313-386) regulated issues of aeronautics over German territory and the use of German ports, railways and waterways by the Allies.

Part 13 of the V.M.D. (Articles 387-427) was devoted to the creation of the International Labor Office.

The final 14-15th parts of the Versailles Peace Treaty (Articles 428-440) established guarantees for the implementation of the treaty on the part of Germany and obliged the latter to “recognize the full force of peace treaties and additional conventions that will be concluded by the allied and associated powers with the powers fighting on the side Germany".

The Versailles Peace Treaty, dictated to Germany by the victorious powers, reflected deep, insurmountable imperialist contradictions, which not only did not weaken, but, on the contrary, intensified even more after the end of the 1st World War. In an effort to resolve these contradictions at the expense of the Soviet state, the victorious powers preserved the dominance of reactionary imperialist groups in Germany, designed to become a striking force in the struggle against the young socialist country and the revolutionary movement in Europe. In this regard, Germany's violation of the military and reparation articles of the Versailles Peace Treaty was actually condoned by the governments of the victorious countries. Pursuing the goal of restoring the military-industrial potential of Germany (see Dawes Plan, Young Plan), the USA, England and France repeatedly revised the size and terms of reparation payments. This revision resulted in Germany stopping reparation payments altogether in 1931, in accordance with a moratorium provided by the US government. The USSR was an opponent of the Versailles Peace Treaty, invariably exposed its imperialistic, predatory nature, but at the same time resolutely opposed the policy of unleashing the Second World War, 1939-1945, pursued by the Nazis under the guise of fighting the Versailles Peace Treaty. In March 1935 Hitler's Germany, by introducing universal conscription, by a unilateral act violated the military articles of the Versailles Peace Treaty, and the Anglo-German naval agreement of June 18, 1935 was already a bilateral violation of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Germany's seizure of Austria (1938), Czechoslovakia (1938-1939) and its attack on Poland (September 1, 1939) meant the final liquidation of the Versailles Peace Treaty.

Extensive literature from various political directions is devoted to issues related to the preparation of the Versailles Peace Treaty, assessment of its nature and significance in the post-Versailles structure of Europe and the new balance of power in the world. At the same time, the main tendency of bourgeois historiography in assessing the Versailles Peace Treaty is the desire to hide the predatory, imperialist nature of this treaty, an attempt to justify the position taken by the delegation of “their” country during the development and signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty. This tendency is especially clearly manifested in such books in English. authors like "The Truth About peace treaties"Lloyd George (D. Lloyd George, The truth about the peace treaties, v. 1-2, 1938, Russian translation, vol. 1-2, 1957), "How the world was made in 1919" by Nicholson (N. Nicolson, Peacemaking 1919, 1933, Russian translation 1945), "Great Britain, France and the German problem 1918-1939" by W. M. Jordan (Great Britain, France and the German problem 1918- 1939, L.-N.Y., 1943, Russian translation 1945), in the works of J. M. Keynes, The economic consequences of the peace, 1920, Russian translation: “Economic consequences of the Versailles Peace Treaty”, 1924 ), G. W. Temperley (H. W. Temperley, A history of the Peace conference of Paris, v. 1-6, 1920-24), etc. Despite the frank apology for British imperialism, these books can serve historical sources thanks to the enormous factual and documentary material they contain.

A characteristic feature of American historiography related to the Versailles Peace Treaty is an attempt to justify the foreign policy of the Wilson government, to idealize his “Fourteen Points”, which formed the basis of the “peacekeeping” activities of the head of the United States. delegation at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920, to convince readers that American diplomacy, in developing the Treaty of Versailles and treaties with states allied with the Kaiser’s Germany, was guided by the principles of “justice” and “self-determination of peoples” (E. M. House, The intimate papers of colonel House, v. 1-4, 1926-28, Russian translation: E. House, Colonel House Archives, v. 1-4. The end of the war. June 1918 - November 1919, 1944; R. S. Baker, Woodrow Wilson and world settlement, v. 1-3, 1923-27, Russian translation: S. Baker, Woodrow Wilson. World War. Treaty of Versailles, 1923; N. S. F. Bell, Woodrow Wilson and the people (1945); D. Perkins, America and two wars (1944); Ch. Seymour, American diplomacy during the World war (1934); Th. Bailey, Woodrow Wilson and the lost peace (1945), etc.). However, American historiography is powerless to refute the assessment of Wilson’s policies given by V.I. Lenin, who noted that “Wilson’s idealized democratic republic turned out to be in fact a form of the most rabid imperialism, the most shameless oppression and strangulation of weak and small peoples” (Works, vol. 28 , p. 169).

Extensive documentary and factual material about the Versailles Peace Treaty is contained in the book of the French statesman A. Tardieu “The World” (A. Tardieu, La paix, 1921, Russian translation 1943). As a participant in the Paris Conference and being J. Clemenceau’s closest assistant at it, Tardieu closely followed the progress of the discussion of German and other problems. This allowed him to cover in detail in his book the struggle around territorial, reparations and other provisions of the Versailles Peace Treaty. At the same time, in his work Tardieu acts as a defender of French imperialism and its foreign policy in the German question.

Of particular interest to students of the history of the Versailles Peace Treaty are the books of the former Italian Prime Minister F. Nitti (F. Nitti, La decadenza dell "Europa, 1921, Russian translation: "Europe over the Abyss", 1923) and the Secretary General of the Italian delegation at the Paris Conference L. Aldrovandi-Marescotti (L. Aldrovandi-Marescotti, Guerra diplomatica..., 1937, Russian translation: Diplomatic War..., 1944). The works of these authors were reflected in the fact that Great Britain, France and the USA "deprived "Italy in solving territorial problems at the conference. Hence the sharp criticism to which they subjected the decisions of this conference.

Soviet historiography provided a scientifically based assessment of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Based on the characteristics of the Versailles Peace Treaty given by V.I. Lenin, on extensive documentary material, analyzing foreign policy. courses of the state - the main initiators and leaders of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920 - Great Britain, France and the USA, Soviet historians(B. E. Stein (“The Russian Question” at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-20), 1949, I. I. Mints, A. M. Pankratova, V. M. Khvostov (authors of the chapters “History of Diplomacy”, vol. 2-3, M., 1945) and others) convincingly showed the imperialist essence of the Versailles Peace Treaty, its fragility and harmful consequences for the peoples of the whole world.

B. E. Stein, E. Yu. Bogush. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 3. WASHINGTON - VYACHKO. 1963.

Publications:

Treaty of Versailles, trans. from French, M., 1925; Traité de Versailles 1919, Nancy - R.-Stras., 1919.

The Treaty of Versailles, concluded between the countries of the Entente and the Triple Alliance in 1919, determined the conditions for ending the First World War for each of the warring parties.

At the beginning of the 20th century, tension gradually increased in the world. Each of the major European powers wanted to strengthen their positions, acquire new territories and expand their zone of influence. Both the Entente countries (based on three powerful powers: Russia, France and England) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary) had territorial claims. Later, most European countries became involved in the war.

Bloody battles and diseases claimed the lives of almost 10 million people and injured 20 million. The war began in 1914 and ended only in 1919. The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28 at the Palace of Versailles, put an end to it. However, the terms of the agreement turned out to be such that political leaders states it was clear: in the near future the world should expect a new war. The “offended” party under the terms of the Versailles Agreement was Germany, which, instead of a dominant position, fell back into the position of a controlled state, deprived of even the opportunity to have its own regular army.

The results of the war for Germany under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles

The German Empire was no longer a powerful power. The country lost:

• colonial lands in Africa;
• the Pacific Islands under its control;
• benefits and privileges in Thailand;
• fleet, airships, railway transport (all this was to be transferred to the Entente countries);
• its army and military aviation;
• coal mines of the Saar basin;
• the city of Danzig (which came under the control of the League of Nations).

The Entente received the right to a 15-year occupation of the left bank of the Rhine. This was due to the need to monitor that there were no attempts on Germany’s part to violate the terms of the treaty. The German General Staff was dissolved and compulsory conscription was abolished. Emperor Wilhelm II was considered an international criminal and should have been put on trial.

The German Empire was obliged to pay huge sums of reparations to the Entente countries. Only in the next three years after the conclusion of peace, she had to give 20 billion marks in gold, securities and goods.

Germany's total losses amounted to an eighth of the territories that belonged to it before the war, and a twelfth of the population.

As a result of the agreement, Germany's ally Austria-Hungary ceased to exist as a separate state: it broke up into independent units (Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia).

Bulgaria, the third ally, withdrew from the war even before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, finding itself economically exhausted. The Bulgarian government was forced to resolve internal conflicts that erupted due to the difficult economic situation.

Results of the war for the victorious countries

The Treaty of Versailles brought considerable gains to the opponents of the Triple Alliance, although population losses during the hostilities were enormous on this side as well.

As new supporters joined the Entente during the war, they also managed to change their borders upward.

According to the terms of the agreement, France, Belgium and Italy were supposed to receive from Germany a considerable amount of fuel and energy reserves: 140, 80 and 77 million tons, respectively.

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles as a prerequisite for the formation of the Third Reich

The German Empire hoped, after the end of hostilities, to finally emerge as a powerful power playing a leading role in Europe politically and economically. Other states also sought to strengthen their position, and in addition they feared the growing influence of Germany and the potential threat from it.

The German government did not immediately agree to recognize the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, and other countries tried to revise it on the most favorable terms for themselves. Therefore, before the signing, many secret meetings were held, during which the parties finally managed to more or less agree.

Historical significance of the treaty

The Versailles peace could not become durable: representatives of the political elite of European states understood that Germany would sooner or later try to take revenge. Therefore, some called this peace simply a truce. For some time, the contradictions between the states were resolved, but it was inevitable. Two decades passed and it broke out. After all, the Treaty of Versailles, without eliminating the previously existing contradictions between states, added new contradictions - between the victors and the vanquished.