Kayleigh Robic

Miss Burke

Honors World History

3/21/18

Treaty of Versailles DBQ In-Class Essay

The Treaty of Versailles was an agreement that settled affairs between the warring

countries and stopped the fighting of WW1. The Treaty of Versailles did not ensure peace and

promote recovery because of the bias of its writers, the exclusion of Germany and other

territories’ input, and because it gave no solution for economic stability.

Woodrow Wilson, George Clemenceau, and Lloyd George were the “Big Three”, the

three main contributors to the Treaty. All of them held a bias and a strong opinion towards what

te Treaty should contain. Woodrow Wilson, President of America, wanted peace. As seen in

Document 1, he wanted to secure peaceful relations with all countries, including Russia. He

wanted diplomacy, but because America was not in the war for long, did not understand the other

nations want for revenge. In Document 4, Source B, Wilson shows his want for peace, and for a

World War to never happen again. He was, however, not considering the tensions between

European countries that had started centuries in the past. In Source E, Lloyd George’s secretary

comments on his, citing Wilson’s one-sightedness, how he only cared about his 4 points and

League of Nations. While Wilson did want peace, he did not take into consideration every

countries willingness to do so. Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, was more neutral than

his American and French counterparts. Personally, he did not want to permanently harm

Germany, which would cease trade between the nations. Politically, however, he followed what

his citizens wanted. A show in Document 4, Sources C and D, Lloyd George wanted Germany to
pay for the costs of the war completely. In Source C, however, we see his underlying hope for

lasting peace, which contradicts his plan for Germany to par. If Germany paid, their economy

would be in shambles, which would cease to let them trade with other countries. Clemenceau

was the most biased of the “Big Three”. France was destroyed during the war and was the site of

many of WW1’s battles. Not only that, but during the Franco-Prussian war, Franco lost a lot of

territory, and ultimately the war itself. Prior to WW1 it was already biased, and WW1 only

served to further pit France against Germany. In Document 4, Source A, Clemenceau’s anger

against Germany is shown. His irrational anger towards Germany would not allow for peace.

The Treaty of Versailles did not take the opinions of Germany or other territories into

account. As seen in Document 5, the Treaty was made without Germany’s input, and they were

forced to sign it. The political cartoon is from Germany’s perspective and shows Germany’s

inability to do anything else other than agreeing to the terms. In Document 8, different articles

from the Treaty are shown. Articles 22, Alsace-Lorraine, 119, and 156 all show the Allies

discussing and interfering with other countries and peoples without their input. While, as shown

in Document 2, some leaders aid wanted eventual independence of these people, these land

masses are passed around and divided up between nations without their consent. The Allies are

deciding the fates of these people and are not taking their opinions into consideration. This is

similar to one of the causes of the American Revolution, taxation without representation. They

are managing these lives without their consent. And as seen in the American Revolution and

French Revolution, this will only lead to unrest and war.

The Treaty does not provide a solution to the economic rehabilitation of all of Europe.

The blame is placed on Germany. This is shown in Document 3, where John Maynard Keynes

criticizes the Treaty for this issue. In Documents 6 and 7, we see the effects of putting all the
blame on Germany. Over inflation ensues, and their economy is in shambles. By placing all the

blame on Germany’s shoulders, the Allies were just inviting unrest and feelings of anger to arise.

This is seen come into fruition in WW2. If Germany was not blamed, then Hitler’s rise to power

would not have been so easily obtained.

In conclusion, the Treaty could not have ensured peace because it was written by biased

leaders that either did not take countries opinions and feelings into consideration or did not see

the further war that would arise from oppressing and blaming Germany and the territories. By

placing the war debt on Germany, they invited unrest and anger that would fuel wars to come.