Is the Versailles Treaty Responsible?

The Treaty of Versailles has been blamed for a multitude of evils afflicting the world since the close of the Great War, including the universal decay of trade, the fall of the German Republic, the rise of Hitler, and the revived rumours of war. A grave misconception lies at the bottom of this view, and a careful analysis of the post-War situation would bring out the facts that the treaty in itself exercised little real influence upon the tide of events in Germany, and that it is quite unrelated to the rise of Hitler. That the Germans had to endure more than the French and English has usually been attributed to the “Carthaginian peace” which sealed their defeat. It is well to remember, however, that their tribulations date back further than the Versailles Treaty, to the War at its very commencement. Therefore, we should distinguish clearly between the events and circumstances which owe their origin to the particular terms of the Treaty, and those which flowed inevitably from the struggle itself.