by Treaty of Versailles, First World War
Official French printing of the Treaty of Versailles, a document of monumental importance in American and world history. June 28, 1919. This treaty ended the First World War. Printed in French and English on facing pages, plus four large folding maps. Folio. Original printed wrappers. The Treaty of Versailles was an ambitious document which sought to address the postwar settlement and punish Germany for starting the war. It attempted to remake the map of Europe and create a supra-national political organization, the League of Nations. The Covenant of the League of Nations comprises the first part of the treaty. Perhaps the most famous part is Article 231, the "war guilt clause," in which Germany accepted responsibility and agreed to pay reparations to the allies in the sum of 20,000,000,000 gold marks, the amount to be modified by a reparations commission in 1921. Germany also had to recognize the independence of Austria. The German army was limited to one hundred thousand men and largely disarmed. Other provisions address issues of tariffs, ports, labor, aerial navigation, prisoners of war, and more. The many punitive measures of the Treaty of Versailles fanned discontent in post-war Germany; Hitler was vocal about this in the 1930s. The refusal of the United States to ratify the treaty and participate in the League of Nations was a crucial part in the chain of events that led to the Second World War. The official French printing with the Protocol. Minor edge wear, small nick on front cover. Very good condition and quite important.
(Inventory #: 17218)