The Treaty of Versailles

Describe its terms and impact.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 27

When a war ends, the winners and losers sign a treaty. In 1919, leaders met at the palace of Versailles, in France.
The treaty was hard on Germany. Germany had to accept the blame, pay huge sums for war damage, give up land, and keep only a small army.
President Wilson had a dream: a League of Nations, where countries could talk instead of fight. The treaty created it.
But back home, the Senate voted against the treaty. Many Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's troubles. So the United States never joined Wilson's League.
Many Germans felt bitter about the treaty for years. Keep that in mind. It will matter in World War II.

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:

SS5H2.a — Explain how German attacks on U.S. shipping during the war in Europe (1914-1917) ultimately led the U.S. to join the fight against Germany; include the sinking of the Lusitania and concerns over safety of U.S. ships, U.S. contributions to the war, and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.