Problems with the Treaty of Versailles

Economic Costs of the War

• Factories, farms, and

homes destroyed in
France, Russia, and
Belgium

• Nations had huge war

debts
– War estimated to

have cost $332 billion

• Allies made Central

Powers pay
reparations
– Payments for war

damages they caused

The Treaty of Versailles

• Germany had to

accept
responsibility for
the war
– Germany forced to

pay for war
damages

The Treaty of Versailles

• Germany lost land

– led to the creation

of new countries
from German
territory

•Czechoslovakia
•Poland

– Lost overseas

colonies

The Treaty of Versailles

• Germany forced to

destroy all
offensive military
equipment
– Limited size of

German military

– German troops were

banned from the
border with France
(Rhineland)

The Treaty of Versailles

• Led to economic

hardship in Germany

The Treaty of Versailles

• Treaty created a

great deal of
resentment in
Germany
– Britain and France

looked out for
themselves

– Planted the seeds

for future
conflicts

Treaty of Versailles

• Created the League

of Nations
– Goal was to settle

problems through
negotiations rather
than war

– would use economic

and military
cooperation to deal
with aggressor states

The League of Nations

• The United States

Senate voted not to join
the League of Nations
– Americans wanted to

return to a isolationist
foreign policy

– Feared getting pulled into

foreign wars

Breakup of the

Austria/Hungarian Empire

• Austria/Hungarian

Empire broken up by
the Allies
– New nations formed

from territory

• Austria
• Hungary

• Yugoslavia
• Czechoslovakia

Breakup of the Ottoman Empire

• Ottoman Empire

collapsed in 1918

• lands placed under the

control of Britain and
France
– Mandate System

• Territories

administered by
European powers

– Countries were suppose

to be granted self
determination

– Were actually run by

Britain and France

Breakup of the Ottoman Empire

• Turkey

– Nation formed

from what
remained of the
Ottoman Empire

New Nations from Russian Lands

• Latvia, Lithuania,

Estonia created
from Russian
Territory

• Poland gained

territory from
Russia

Nations
unhappy

with the
Treaty of
Versailles

Legacy of the Treaty of Versailles

Germany

Italy

Russia

Japan

Humiliated and bitter

feeling because of
terms of the treaty

Hoped to gain more
land; felt ignored by

allies

Angry about losing land

to Poland, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania

Allies did not recognize
their claims to land in

China