Introduction
World War I was said by President Woodrow Wilson to be the war to end all wars. The Great War was the first war fought by countries throughout the world. The war started in 1914 and ended in 1918. The horrible toll of the war through death and destruction had given world leaders firm resolve to prevent such a war from happening again. Unfortunately, the attempt at diplomacy in Paris in 1919 proved to be inconsequential to stability and peace in Europe in the decades to come.
The six months of negotiation and debate during the Treaty of Versailles brought conflicting opinions on how lasting peace could be accomplished for the world. The end result of the treaty, the failure to enforce the treaty, and the rise of a charismatic leader, Adolph Hitler, returned the world to war just decades later.
Thesis: The Treaty of Versailles, however noble the effort, is an example of failed diplomacy. The result of lasting peace was not accomplished. The attempts of diplomacy failed and the consequence was another World War where millions more died and destruction was seen. Despite the treaty's failures, nations successfully learned important lessons they used in the treatment of enemy nations after World War II and in developing the United Nations.
The six months of negotiation and debate during the Treaty of Versailles brought conflicting opinions on how lasting peace could be accomplished for the world. The end result of the treaty, the failure to enforce the treaty, and the rise of a charismatic leader, Adolph Hitler, returned the world to war just decades later.
Thesis: The Treaty of Versailles, however noble the effort, is an example of failed diplomacy. The result of lasting peace was not accomplished. The attempts of diplomacy failed and the consequence was another World War where millions more died and destruction was seen. Despite the treaty's failures, nations successfully learned important lessons they used in the treatment of enemy nations after World War II and in developing the United Nations.
