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which killed 25 million.Overall, bitterness in Europe ran high, and few
were willing to be lenient toward Germany and its allies.
Germany Signs in Protest
On May 7, 1919, the German delegation to the peace conference re-
ceived the finished treaty. Further negotiation of its terms—or any
further discussion—was not allowed.The Allies demanded that Ger-
many either sign the document or face a resumption of war, this time
with a badly depleted army. Expecting to be consulted on the final
terms, the Germans reacted with outrage, yet they had no real choice
in the matter.
Aside from creating the League of Nations, the final treaty bore
little resemblance to Wilson’s program for peace. The terms instead
reflected Clemenceau’s demands. Germany had to acknowledge its
guilt in starting the war. Because of this responsibility, Germany was
forced to pay reparations to the Allies, mainly to France and Bel-
gium for damage done to the infrastructure in those countries, in-
cluding roads, bridges, and telegraph lines.The amount required was
not specified, basically giving the Allies a blank check to be cashed
at their convenience. Territory was seized from Germany, including
Alsace-Lorraine (given to France); West Prussia, Posen, and Upper
Silesia (given to Poland); and the Sudetenland (incorporated into
Czechoslovakia). The German economy was hamstrung with debt
and with the loss of manufacturing and resources in the relinquished
areas. Germany was also forbidden to unite with Austria to boost its
economy. The treaty limited Germany’s army to one hundred thou-
sand soldiers and allowed it no tanks or aircraft.
The signing ceremony took place at the Palace of Versailles on
June 28, 1919—the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, the incident that had triggered the war, and now
twice a fateful date for the future of Europe. To ensure that the reluc-
tant Germans would sign, the Allies raised a naval blockade to limit
supplies to an already weakened Germany.The German delegation—
sent by a new chancellor after the angry resignation of his predeces-
sor—signed the Treaty of Versailles under protest. Before the ink was
dry, a satisfied Clemenceau slipped outside for a stroll in the palace
gardens, murmuring, “It is a beautiful day.”
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