The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty that ended World War I and officially recognized the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
It was signed in France on June 28, 1919, by the representatives of Germany and the Allies, and officially ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied powers.
The treaty allowed for military-industrial reparations, or payments made by one country to another as compensation for damage done during wartime. This was a controversial clause, as it allowed for Germany to be held responsible for all damages caused by its war effort.
The Treaty regulated the numbers and capability of artillery in Germany’s army, as well as limiting their access to raw materials like coal and iron ore.
The treaty also forced Germany to reduce its army from an estimated 200 divisions down to 100 divisions within 6 months of signing the agreement. Additionally, it forbade Germany from having an air force or navy for 15 years after signing the agreement. It also required Germany to cede Alsace-Lorraine to France, which had been part of France before being taken by Germany in 1871.
The terms of the treaty were extremely harsh for Germans, and many felt that they had been betrayed by their government because it had not won the war. This feeling helped contribute to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party who promised to make Germany great again by taking control away from Jews who were blamed for all of Germany’s problems.
