Many of the seeds of World War II in Europe were sown by the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I. In its final form, the treaty placed full blame for the war on Germany and Austria-Hungary, as well as exacted harsh financial reparations and led to territorial dismemberment. For the German people, who had believed that the armistice had been agreed to based on US President Woodrow Wilson’s lenient Fourteen Points, the treaty caused resentment and a deep mistrust of their new government, the Weimar Republic. The need to pay war reparations, coupled with the instability of the government, contributed to massive hyperinflation which crippled the German economy. This situation was made worse by the onset of the Great Depression.

The First World War came to an end in 1919 with the defeat of Germany, Austria Hungary, Italy to the England-France-Russia-USA alliance. A post war treaty called the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the palace at Versailles near Paris.

The treaty of Versailles was basically an unfair treaty. It fixed the sole responsibility for the First World War on Germany. It was basically the intention of France and England to punish Germany to such an extent that it would never cause trouble again.

The treaty consisted of harsh conditions like:

• Demilitarisation of Rhineland
• Loss of resource rich Alsace Lorraine to France
• Loss of territories in the east to Russia
• Loss of Germany’s African colonies to the League of Nations
• Germany was not supposed to build any more war ships
• Germany’s military strength is to be confined to 100000
• Huge war indemnity of 6600 million pounds was imposed on Germany
• Germany should not impose compulsory military training upon its citizens

It cannot be said only the failure of peace treaty of Versailles was the major reason for the Second World War. The other reasons involve:

• Growth of Fascism and Nazism:
  • Mussolini (Italy) and Hitler (Germany) strongly glorified war and violence.
  • While West was fighting communism, Germany and Italy started massive militarization.
• Rise of Japan:
  • Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis (1936).
• Neglect of minority interests:
  • New countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria were formed after the First World War. While drawing boundaries the interests of minority groups in each of these countries were neglected.
• Military Alliances:
  • Allies – Britain, France, USA, USSR and China vs Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and Japan
  • Leaders – Churchill (Britain), Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)
• Germany’s attack on Czechoslovakia:
  • In-spite of the Munich Pact between Germany and Britain (1938), Germany re-attacked and sized Czechoslovakia.

Conclusion:

As such, the Treaty of Versailles may be seen as leading to many of the causes of World War II in Europe. As Foch had feared, the treaty simply served as a twenty-year armistice with World War II beginning in 1939.