One major aspect of the treaty of Paris in 1919 was that it contained the Treaty of Versailles, one which has a major goal of disciplining Germany and forcing a sense of punishment and finality of Germany. For instance, Germany lost many colonies and investments in lieu of this treaty and their ability to forge a military was crippled and limited to a fraction of its original size; the German air force was also similarly crippled. Germany was also further bankrupt in the reparations that it was ordered to pay -- the equivalent of $132 billion gold marks. These intense punishments were a major aspect of the treaty and were something that did cause a deadlock at certain points in the negotiating process (MacMillan, 195). The treaty of Paris was also finalized with Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. Wilson's Fourteen Points first debuted in a speech in 1918 but were also used as a reference and overwhelming guideline for international peacekeeping. The fourteen points sought to abolish some of the trends which had caused World War One in the first place. For example, elements like secret agreements, economic barriers, high numbers of weapons among nations, and intense imperialistic...
While imperialism and alliances were two of the major pillars which led to the war, one could argue that it was the tension, fear and lack of trust that pervaded among nations that was most prominently the aggravated reason for the war. The treaty of Paris sought to maintain peace among the nations while punishing Germany, and by establishing the League of Nations, but World War Two is a manifestation of that ultimate failure.
References
Afflerbach, H. (2007). An Improbable War?: The Outbreak of World War I and European Political. New York: Berghahn Books.
Louis, W. (2006). Ends of British Imperialism. New York: I.B.Tauris.
MacMillan, M. (2007). Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World. New York: Random House Publishers.
MacMillan, M. (2009). The War that Ended Peace. New York: Random…
