Treaty of Paris
1918
by Lara Stokes
The Treaty of Paris was the treaty that ended World War I
What it was
The Treaty of Paris was signed in January of 1919.
The Treaty of Paris was essentially forced Germany to take responsibility for starting the war. The treaty's negotiations focused on dividing land and how Germany would repay its debt.
How it came about
At 11:00 a.m., on November 11th, 1918 WWI battles being fought stopped. This was an armistice between the Allies and Germany. This armistice included the following.
- Germany's immediate withdrawal from enemy territories.
- Disarmament and demobilization of the German army.
- The release of all Allied prisoners.
Germany's troops were being defeated, so they had no other choice but to agree.
The Treaty
The treaty was drafted by the four allied powers, Italy, Great Britain, the United States, and France. The negotiations resulted in severe punichments for Germany. It included the following.
- The German leaders had to admit to beginning the war.
- Germany had to pay billions of dollars to repay the destruction it had created.
- Its territory would decrease by 10 percent.
- Major restrictions had to be put on its military.