The year 1919 was a momentous time for all the major countries in the world. World War One had just come to an end, and peace was finally on the horizon. Every big country came to meet in Paris for the Peace Conference. There, they would discuss how several countries would be split, any reparations that needed to be paid, and finalize a peace contract between everyone. 

Unfortunately, these plans did not turn out just how the allies predicted. Countries like Germany refused to pay the extreme price of a reparation England and France were asking for. In turn, this caused even more conflict than the had before and during World War One. The Paris 1919 Peace Conference was ultimately a failure, especially for American, Wilson, who created the League Of Nations, in hope of bringing peace everlasting. 

In class we discussed the events that played out over the several months in Paris. The failures, success, and how this all led to World War Two. We watched a film, which I have linked below, and took notes on what we saw, thought, and any questions we had. This I have also added down below as evidence of my knowledge on the event.

https://www.nfb.ca/film/paris_1919/

While watching the movie I thought, could the war have been prevented? I already know that World War Two happens, although it seems there were many signs that begin to appear that Germany is not happy and is willing to fight once again in order to get what they want. They are angry with the peace treaty and refuse to sign at first, everyone is scared of them, even if they are weak. If the French and their ally’s had paid more attention to the signs, they could have been more prepared for the Second World War. I believe that instead of being confident in themselves, the allies, England and France, should have acknowledged the warning signs of aggravation and taken some action towards preventing possible backlash. 

A German representative who attended the Paris peace conference stated, “the treaty which our enemies have laid before us is, in so far as the French dictated it, is a monument of pathological fear and pathological hatred; and in so far as the Anglo-Saxons (British) dictated it, it is the work of a capitalistic policy of the most brutal and cleverest kind.” – Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau. He has acknowledged the fact that the reparations they were asking for was a clever plan, as well as the everlasting peace, although it was a brutal one. This meant that he although thought the idea was a smart one, was not in favour of it as it did not help, in any way, his own country. 

Many signs had arisen during the peace conference to indicate that a future war could be coming. If only the allies had noticed them, then maybe a war may not have happened, or there could have been a lot less damage.