This article outlines 19 rare facts about the Treaty of Versailles (1919). For instance, about 500,000 Jews fought for Germany in World War I.
1
One of the rare facts about the Treaty of Versailles is that no peace treaty was negotiated or signed even two months after the end of World War I
2
World leaders came together in Paris for a peace treaty
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The Big Four is the term to name the four leaders of victorious countries, including Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, and, Vittorio Orlando of Italy.
4
The leader of the leaders was Woodrow Wilson, who came to Paris, especially for the peace deal. There were more than 10000 politicians and diplomats at this peace conference.
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One of the 19 rare facts about the Treaty of Versailles is that John Maynard Keynes, one of the top-notch British economists, was not very confident about the peace deal. He believed the parties were more interested in advancing their vested interests – economic in particular and that they had not much concern for a peace deal.
6
One of the facts about the Treaty of Versailles is that only the leaders of the victorious countries like the UK, the USA, France, etc., and no leader of Germany was in Paris. According to the plan, they will be summoned later. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in June 1919 at the Palace of Versailles in Paris at the end of World War I, codified peace terms between the victorious Allies and Germany.
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Another rare fact about the Treaty of Versailles is that Woodrow Wilson disregarded the point that Germany must be punished severely. He instead gave the idea of the League of Nations, a more sustainable system to ensure peace in world politics.
8
Many Germans especially soldiers believed they did not lose the war. In fact, it was an armistice, to them. They sent many requests to Big Four to negotiate the peace terms but in vain. It ultimately surrendered to the terms and signed the treaty, known as The Treaty of Versailles (1919). One of the reasons for the food blockade slapped against Germany by Big Four.
9
The war was so brutal and severe that the bodies of more than 700,000 French soldiers were unidentifiable.
10
One of the facts about the Treaty of Versailles is that in England alone, more than 2.7 million people were driven out of their homes in the wake of the war. More than 4000 villages were wholly devastated, houses damaged or destroyed were nearly 600,000, while more than 20500 factories were left ruined.
11
Some eye-opening facts about the Treaty of Versailles include that thousands of Germans died of hunger due to the food blockade slapped by the victorious countries. They believed Wilson-cum-America had again betrayed Germany. They were given three weeks to come up with their answer. Making the matter worse, Germany was asked to pay for the reparation, amassing over a whopping $33 billion.
12
France wanted the German colonies but Wilson was not willing to give a colony to any other country. In fact, he wanted to do away with these colonies and provide them with freedom and local leadership.
13
Many leaders visited the newly-made graveyards of the dead soldiers of France. Woodrow Wilson did not go because he wanted to keep emotions out of the peace process.
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It was possibly the first occasion when Jews demanded a separate state for Israelites, Israel. Arabs did not like that demand.
15
Wilson’s motion of the League of Nations was approved by the leaders of the countries participating in this. The US president returned back to get the approval of the Senate for the League of Nations. But, Americans do not have any interest in this new league.
16
One of the startling facts about the Treaty of Versailles was that 6 German negotiators and 180 other members left for France after the invitation from Woodrow Wilson. They had documents to prove that the Germans alone did not start the war. They wanted an unbiased tribunal to investigate the war.
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500,000 Jews fought in the German army. Also, two German negotiators were Jews. They were seasoned bankers and experts in the economy.
18
The terms of the treaty were harsher than Germany had imagined. (1) the surrender of all German colonies as League of Nations mandates; (2) the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France; (3) the cession of Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, Memel to Lithuania, the Hultschin district to Czechoslovakia, and many
19
One of the facts about the Treaty of Versailles is that Turks and the people living under Turkish rule such as the Middle East/Arab countries (The Ottoman Empire), were given the right to self-determination.
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