Was the Versailles Settlement Just - Research Paper Example

Was the Versailles Settlement "Just"? The struggle for power and struggle to attain the highest position among other European nations, which finally broke out in the form of the First World War 1914, was intended to bring to an end by the Versailles Settlement. Though historians, scholars of political science and international affairs and humanists have interpreted the Versailles Pact from different perspectives but on a particular point all of them have agreed unanimously that several clauses and norms of the Pact were not aimed at the best purpose of all the nations that have suffering the ravages of the Great War I. Though Versailles Treaty was aimed at ensuring peace across the world and also attempted to reorganize the nations to take the world out of the ashes of destruction but that purpose was not served perfectly. As the allied force triumphed over the axis power and it received almost an unacknowledged authority over political affairs of Europe as well as of the whole world, with the intention to affirm their position further they cornered the triumphed nations, depriving those from all sorts of facilities and cooperation from the other countries. The Versailles treaty was one of most important steps of the triumphing nations to impose political isolation over the defeated countries. Nations belonging to the allied party presumed that through such political isolation these nations would be weakened accordingly; consequently, it will also act as the last nail over the coffin. However, the situation did not finally turn up as nations of the allied force actually planned. The deprived nations though were momentarily subdued, but gradually they were gathering power inside to attain back the supremacy that they were deprived of in an unrighteous manner and finally the whole process led to resulting in the outbreak of the Great War II. Looking at the whole situation from this perspective we can say that Versailles treaty was one of the main causes that already prepared for the foundation of the World War II. Thesis : The struggle for power and political supremacy that once commenced with the Great War I, resulted in prevailing devastation across the globe, took a written form though the Versailles treaty and the injustice that the allied nations inflicted over the defeated, ultimately led to the worse devastation and mass killing that the world witnessed in the form of the Great War II. Whether the Versailles settlement was proper or not: before getting deep into the discussion it is important to ponder over the reasons that actually prevailed in the European political scenario prior to the time period of 1914. Quest for Power and Political Supremacy: Once the war started and people were observing the devastation of the war in such a manner that they never witnessed before, responses and reactions started coming across the world. People from all section of the society started to find out the actual cause that resulted in such devastation. Though, till date no one has been able to find out the actual and specific reason for the Great War but the historians and political science scholars as the causes of the Great War have basically identified three basic arguments. First, “The Allies claimed the war had been ‘imposed upon them’ by German aggression. For their part, the Germans said that before 1914 they had been gradually encircled by hostile powers and they declared war to avoid being crushed …. Led by Vladimir Lenin, the Russian Communists put forward a third explanation. They called the First World War an ‘imperialist struggle’ … the inventible result of competition between the capitalist nations to dominate the worlds market.”1 Unification of Germany was one very important factor that influenced the political situation of Europe to a great margin. Unified Germany was progressing with the great speed in every aspect especially both in political and economic arena and this progress was definitely a matter of threat for the other two great European powers, France and England. The struggle between France and England to emerge as only superpower of Europe continued for centuries. Primarily, when Britain realized that France and Germany have already identified them as enemies, England considered Germany “as a potential ally.”2 However, there was not such encouraging response from Germany to support Britain and it continued with its progress in different aspects without seeking or providing any support to England. On the other hand France was eager to revenge against Germany, and as it knew that it would not be possible to defeat Germany singlehandedly, France developed an ally with Russia. On the other hand Germany was gradually making enemy with England due to its great success in trade and commerce” “German economic success was an even greater threat to Britain’s position in the world …. Everywhere the British looked, they saw signs of Germany’s new-found product.”3 Situation of Europe and Power Politics: Pondering over the situation that prevailed in Europe between the time period of 1870-1914, it is evident that no matter how much the allied nations were putting blame over Germany and Germany on the other hand was actually attempting to prove its alibi of self-defense but actually all of the nations were focused over a single aspect only and that it is to hold as much as power possible in their hands and it was the only reason that they were fighting so busy in fighting with each other and preventing one another from reaching their desired targets. Germany was already anticipating war and due to this reason, they put forward the logical ground of national defense to the world and in the pre-1914 era it was gradually developing all those aspects associated with foreign policy of the nation and military strategy.4 1914-1920, within the span of six years more than 10 million people across the world lost their lives5 and nations had to endure huge loss of property. When the opportunity for establishing peace finally came, common citizens across the globe thought that statesmen will learn from the mistake that they have committed and finally peace will be resorted. Though Versailles treaty restored peace but it was earned by imposing conditional restrictions the conquered nations, mainly over Germany and the prevailing peace till the emergence of Hitler in the context of European political scenario was actually the calmness before storm. Britain was not only the most successful imperialist force across the world in the pre-World War I situation but it was also the first nation that experienced the Industrial Revolution and established itself as the greatest economic power.6 Standing over the foundation of that economic strength it not only expanded its colonies but at the same time to maintain its image it accordingly expanded its military powers of which the Navy was a matter of pride for England. It was considered that no other nations in Europe had the capacity to challenge the British supremacy in the naval scenario. However, Germany also developed its power accordingly, depending over the kind of financial strength it developed over its commercial and economic success and finally it turned out to be a competition between two nations that were fighting for their respective supremacy in the continent. In this context David G. Herrmann mentioned, “The naval race contributed almost irreconcilable antagonism between Germany and Britain. On land, the codification of interlocking mobilization and war plans with a strong emphasis on the offensive was destabilizing elements in crisis decision making.”7 It becomes clear from the observation that England also became a steady enemy of Germany and at the same time it attempted its level best to curtail the power of Germany that it attained since the 1870 onwards till the time prior to the Great War I. After defeat of Germany in the World War I both England and France imposed all these political and economic restrictions over the nation not only to isolate it from rest of the world or to smother its prosperity gradually but at the same time one of the major intentions of both these nations were to take revenge against Germany because the kind of problems it caused to them in the context of attaining supremacy in Europe. One of the main reasons for occurrence of the First World War was that since 1870 till outbreak of the war, three great powers emerged in the political backdrop of Europe in the forms of England, Germany and France. As each of the three forces tried to gain their supremacy, it resulted in such a great devastation. As England and France both emerged as triumphant, thus, they imposed all responsibilities of causing such destruction over Germany. The Versailles Peace treaty became a powerful weapon in their hand to dominate over Germany. This treaty also helped them to take dynamic steps towards stopping every single possibility of industrial boom in Germany. Union of the two Germany created big market but England and France were unable to take advantages of the market. The Versailles treaty actually provided them with the opportunity to occupy the market because if industrialization is stopped, people of the nation had to depend over industrial sector of England and France for commodities required for their daily purpose. Versailles Treaty and biasness of the League of the Nations Apart from the motive of England and France to revenge over Germany, there are certain other reasons that actually led to the failure of the Treaty of Versailles. One major reason was that the Allies did not have any particular aim to make the treaty successful. It seems that that they just came with the intention of making profit from the treaty. They were unanimous over the point that at any cost Germany must be cornered but they really did not have any intention of settling peace across the globe, “The Allies came to Paris with conflicting aims, and they were all dissatisfied with some aspects of the Treaty of Versailles…. The Treaty of Versailles might have been more of a success if the Allies had consistently enforced its terms.”8 At the same time Germany became completely hostile as they were “forced to take responsibility of the war in the “war guilt” clause”9 and it was definitely a great insult not over certain individuals but over the whole nation as well. Both political and socio-economic alienation that was imposed over Germany, it was asserted, for the benefit of nations and their security. Consequently, such argument “… overshadowed the important role played by the League of Nations …” and at the same time it also put a question mark over its role in the context of “European integration.” 10 Though it has been specifically mentioned by the League of Nations in the Versailles Treaty that main purpose of the treaty would be to “promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligation not to resort to war…” (Treaty of Versailles, 32)11 but steps that were taken by the nations were not actually aimed at restoring peace but to put all blames of the War over Germany. Articles, 42, 45, 190, 231, 232 have laid down some of the major provision that actually suggest that the seeds for the Great War II already been germinated because it was quite normal for Germany to revolt as well as to seek revenge against the kind of humiliation that was inflicted over the nation. The Article 231 of the Treaty clearly mentions that “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage ….”12 It is astonishing to see how the Allies declared their judgment in one handed manner over Germany and the League never even felt like seeking consent of the nation whether it is accepting the allegations or not. The act of establishing peace is a harmonious process where the peace settling parties ponder over mistakes committed by all of them and finally come to a conclusion or to a position of mutual settlement that help them to solve the situation. In this context, the act of harmonious settlement in completely ignored and Allies were content with the fact that whatever they have done was only with the intent of self-defense. The Second World War was actually the revolt of Germany against this injustice that was intentionally inflected over them. Such observation receives further assurance from the reaction of Herbert Hoover regarding the Treaty of Versailles, “No document or treaty is worth more than the good will behind it. The whole of history goes to prove that mere signing of treaties alters nothing unless the causes of war have been allayed.”13 The Versailles Treaty, according to Pillet in 1919, was a prolongation of the hypocrisy. Instead of making upcoming wars probable by doing away with the German territory (through non-identification) and restricting Prussia’s provincial aspirations it was weighed down with immaterial particulars and utopian ambitions. By not permitting France to dwell in the left bank of the Rhine, the entrance to future German belligerence was left unlock. The treaty was unjust. It should have incorporated stipulation for instant compensation, incorporating instructions to exploit German hostages of war to mend French tombstones and rural communities. In particular, he disagreed that the League was gibberish. If ever it did materialize it was intended to disintegrate of all of the mistakes that have been entrusted. This was the most horrible of all as it went through all segments of the treaty and as it now comprises the largest obstruction of a hardwearing peace. Pillet drew an individual conclusion from all these incidents. The German contraventions had been so obvious, and the rule had been so powerless, that most French politicians felt uncomfortable speaking of German fault in optimistic-lawful conditions at all. It was almost a metaphysical blame that was plunged upon Germany; fault insufficiently included in terms of infringements of Hague treaties. This stance that Germany abided by in excess of just a hackneyed official accountability was radically reproduced in Clemenceau’s short, atrocious provocation to the German allocation at Versailles on May 7, 1919 to provide its written remarks on the outline peace Treaty within fourteen days. Now, ironically, it was German’s Brockdorff-Rantzau who articulated of rule and self-government and who recommended that all authorities’ liability was to be focused on assessment by an unbiased commission. Not a single thing was heard from Clemenceau about all these stuffs. No consideration was allowed to be provided to the Allies from Germany.14 Deprived of the right to take part in the Paris Peace Conference, Germany was at last offered with the conditions of the Versailles Treaty on May 7, 1919, six months subsequent to the truce agreement. Upon analyzing the conditions of the treaty, people all through Germany responded with indignation and cries of disloyalty. Almost all political groups in Germany combined in opposition to the treaty. The Social-Democratic-led administration even regarded as renovating the war and inquired the General Staff for its deliberate recommendations. However, the General Staff accounted that Germany’s state of affairs was unpromising and that any fortified confrontation would be ineffectual. The new government conceded and signed the agreement on June 28. The choice of Weimar Republic to agree to the Treaty produced a burst of sustenance for intense autonomist parties and activities in Germany. In the 1920 votes, the power of pro-democratic powers in the Reichstag dived from 75 per cent to below 50 per cent, whereas right-wing groups augmented their power to in excess of 30 per cent of the spaces in the Reichstag. Worsening matters were separations in the German polity assisted by the scheme of comparative representation, which sustained to hinder the likelihood of a steady integrated government.15 There is little hesitation that the burdensome stipulations of the Treaty of Versailles and the way in which they were presented had the outcome of discouraging the legality of the Weimar Republic. Germany had introduced a democracy in reaction to the claims of the winners, who gave every sign that Germany would be taken care of compassionately in the following peace. Aftermath, as the conquerors reneged on their assurances, the obligation of liability fell upon the self-governing forces inside Germany. Versailles Treaty: Justified or Unjustified Finally when it comes to analyzing how far morally, politically and socially the Treaty of Versailles is justified, the history of human civilization witnesses only deprivation of one part and on the other hand there is arbitrary imposition of restriction, confinement and alienation. If we look at the whole situation from common man’s prudence we become assured that a War of such magnitude that has caused lives of more than 10 million people and left the living with the memories of the loss they have suffered cannot be caused single handedly. Both Allies and the Axis were equally responsible for devastation of such great magnitude. The main reason behind occurrence of the war was senseless struggle to gain a superior hold over socio-politico-economic backdrop of Europe. Along with Germany the other major powers of Europe were equally responsible for the loss that the world suffered. As they have received triumph over Germany, complete responsibility of the War was imposed over the nation. It is not that what Germany did was completely natural. The main reasons behind enhancing economic and military aggression by Germany was to attain such a position from where it could have dominated the rest of the Europe but it is also same for the other nations also. The only reason to suppress Germany in such shameless manner, as it seems, was that participating nations in the League realized that if Germany if provided with any single chance to get back to the same place where it actually belonged before the Great War I, soon it will again emerge as a great threat for the other nations in the backdrop of Europe as well as of the whole world. The Treaty of Versailles became the only avenue in their hands by which hitting the final nail over Germany could have been accomplished, and that is what the League of Nations did. References 1. Brezina, C. The Treaty of Versailles, 1919: a primary source examination of the treaty that ended World War I, New York, 2005 2. Boemeke, M. F., Feldman, G. D., Gläser, E., The Treaty of Versailles: a reassessment after 75 years, Cambridge, 1998 3. Gelfand, L. E., Herbert Hoover--the Great War and its aftermath, 1914-23, Iowa, 1980 4. Hewitson, M., Germany and the causes of the First World War, Oxford, 2004 5. Herrmann, D.G. , The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War, New Jersey, 1997 6. Koskenniemi, M. The gentle civilizer of nations: the rise and fall of international law, 1870-1960, Cambridge, 2002 7. Pietrzyk, M. E., International order and individual liberty: effects of war and peace on the development of governments, Maryland, 2002 8. Ross, S., Causes and Consequences of the First World War, London, 2003 Read More