Treaty Of Versailles Unfair Argumentative Essay

The Treaty of Versailles was unfair because it solely blamed Germany for the war, caused Germany to be vulnerable by forcing limitations upon its military, and unfairly forced Germany to surrender its territories. 

One reason why the Treaty of Versailles was unfair was that it placed all the responsibility for the war on Germany. When it comes to wars, there is never truly one country or person to blame. There were multiple factors when it came to the causes of World War I, the destruction caused during it, and the results of it. However, multiple countries wanted Germany to be punished, therefore the Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for the destruction and loss that resulted from the war. Germany was even forced into accepting that all of the damage and loss from the war was its fault. Additionally, the treaty forced it into paying thirty-three billion dollars in reparation fees, causing its economic struggles to escalate. Even though multiple countries partook in the war, the treaty placed all the blame directly on Germany. 

Another reason why the Treaty of Versailles was unfair was that it restricted Germany’s armed forces. It limited Germany’s army to only consisting of “no more than seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of cavalry” and it restricted its army to a maximum of one-hundred thousand men. This caused Germany to become vulnerable. There were many countries, including the allied countries, around and near Germany that weren't in its favor. Many of these countries believed Germany was to blame and should be punished harshly. An invasion in Germany could easily start and become victorious in overtaking Germany, considering its small army. The strong and powerful army that it once strived to have and grow was destroyed and weakened, leaving the country at great risk of attack. 

An additional reason why the Treaty of Versailles was unfair was that it caused Germany to unfairly give up its preexisting territories. World War I began in 1914, however, Germany was forced to give up territories that it received according to preliminaries and treaties such as the Preliminaries of Peace signed at Versaille and the Treaty of Frankfort. Both of these were established in the 1870s. This treaty made Germany surrender land and populations that had been claimed from past treaties before the war even occurred. This treaty forced Germany to give up lands in other countries and areas of the world, even though Germany did not claim them during or after the war.