Excessive Demands and Unreasonable Conditions:

The Treaty of Versailles as a Catalyst of World War II

Siri Jale, Alexander Liu, Nimisha Seshadri, Jesse Shen and Laya Vanga

Group Website

Senior Division

Process Paper: 468

This project details how the Treaty of Versailles is responsible for essentially causing World War

II. Its terms are widely regarded as excessive and unreasonably harsh, forcing Germany to pay

full reparations for the cost of the war and to accept the guilt of starting the war. This led to

German hatred and resentment towards those who forced this treaty upon them, sentiments

which were exploited by the Nazi Party to rise to power and effectively start World War II. We

chose our topic because it was a major compromise of the 20th century and played a large part in

both world wars. This is also the reason why this topic is important: it ended and started World

Wars I and II respectively, both which had long lasting repercussions and global spheres of

influence.

The majority of our research was compiled from online sources. These sources detail the

analysis of the main points of the treaty, and its effects on Germany. Information was also

gathered on how the treaty was made and what countries had roles that contributed to the

process. Other research were about the scale and impact of World War II. We were able to

acquire preliminary knowledge on World War I which is the cause for the Treaty of Versailles

through our history teacher, which allowed for a basic understanding of the origins of the Treaty.

Some of our most useful sources were the informational videos that built a base for our

understanding of the Treaty, which made further analysis more straightforward. Other quite

useful ones include primary sources obtained from the UK National Archives, detailing public

reaction to the treaty, and one website which went through the economic problems the treaty

caused in detail.
 The only problems encountered during research were mainly citation and primary source

issues. The citation of some older documents from the time period proved difficult, as did the

search for primary sources at first. Besides these, there were no other major hindrances.

This topic fits into this year’s theme, Conflict and Compromise, because it is in essence a

compromise which ultimately created more conflict. The Treaty of Versailles officially ended

World War I, one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of mankind; this alone already shows its

importance. The fundamental role it played in starting the second world war only further elevates

its already monumental importance and the significance of the treaty. World War II is the war

with the farthest reach, the largest sphere of influence, the most casualties, and the Treaty of

Versailles is what essentially started it. From its monumental death toll to the many

technological innovations made (like the radar, nuclear technology, and medical penicillin)

World War II had a gargantuan impact and the Treaty of Versailles as its catalyst is of no less

importance.