Global History & Geography Name: ________________________________

World War 1 & Russian Revolution Treaty of Versailles DBQ

Historical Context:
On June 28, 1919 – seven and a half months after the horrific fighting of World War I ended on November 1918 –
the Treaty of Versailles was signed by the victorious Allied nations of Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United
States as well as the defeated Germany. The framers of the treaty hoped that it would stabilize Europe and ensure
that another catastrophic war would never happen again. But just over two decades later, the flames of war
consumed Europe again.
Task:
Was the Treaty of Versailles a good settlement to ensure the peace and help Europe recover from the war?
Part A
Short-Answer Questions
Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in the space
provided.
Document 1
Selected points from Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points (Jan.,1918)
1) Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international
understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view
3) The removal, so far possible, of all economic barriers....
6) The evacuation of all Russian territory and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will
secure the best and freest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered
and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and
national policy and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of
her own choosing; and more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may
herself desire.

1) How did President Wilson hope to support Russia?

2) Do you think Wilson’s ideas would help preserve the peace and make Europe a better place?

Document 2
National aspirations must be respected; people may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent.
"Self determination" is not a mere phrase. It is an imperative principle of action, which statesmen will henceforth
ignore at their peril. This war had its roots in the disregard of the rights of small nations and of nationalitites
which lacked the union and the force to make good their claim to determine their own allegiances and their own
forms of political life. Covenants (Agreements) must now be entered into which will render such things
impossible for the future; and those covenants must be backed by the united force of all nations that love justice
and are willing to maintain it at any cost...
excerpt from speech by Woodrow Wilson to Congress Feb.11, 1919

3) How would this idea of Wilson benefit the minority populations (Slavs, Poles, Serbs, etc.) existing within
European countries?
Document 3
The Treaty includes no provision for the economic rehabilitation of Europe - nothing to make the defeated Central
Powers into good neighbors, nothing to stabilize the new States of Europe, nothing to reclaim Russia; nor does it
promote in any way a compact of economic solidarity amongst the Allies themselves; no arrangement was
reached at Paris for restoring the disordered finances of France and Italy, or to adjust the systems of the Old
World and the New. John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of Peace, 1920

4) What economic problems were not solved with the Versailles Treaty?

Document 4

5) Why do you think Clemenceau wants to punish Germany so

much?

6) Do you think his arguments are valid?

Document 5

7) How do Wilson’s goals differ from Clemenceau’s goals?

 8) Would Wilson’s goals help ensure peace?

Document 6

9) There seems to be a contradiction in source C and D above. What is the contradiction?

10) Can Britain expect both elements?

Document 7

11) Who is being forced to swallow the pill?

12) Who is doing the forcing?

Document 8

13) According to the graphs above, which countries emerge from WWI in the best economic shape?

14) According to the graphs above, which country is in the worst economic shape?
Document 9
15) Why would this German couple cart
their German Marks around in a wheel
barrow?

Document 10

Left: Children are stacking German Marks like building blocks while
the woman above is loading Marks in the furnace.

16) How do these pictures support the data in the graphs on the previous page?
Document 11
Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919)
Read each provision below and decide whether it supports peace and helps Europe recover from the war or not.
Article 22. Certain communities formerly belonging to the Turkish Empire have reached a stage of development where
their existence as independent nations can be recognized with the assistance of a Western power until such time as they
are able to stand alone.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Alsace-Lorraine:
Article 51. The territories which were ceded to Germany on February 26, 1871 [Franco-Prussian War], andthe Treaty of
Frankfort of May 10, 1871, are restored to French sovereignty as from the date of the Armisticeof November 11, 1918.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Article 119. Germany renounces in favor of the Principal Allied Powers all her rights and titles over her overseas
possessions.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Article 156. Germany renounces, in favour of Japan, all her rights and title[Chinese colonies]…which she acquired in
virtue of` the Treaty concluded by her with China on March 6, 1898 [Treaty System]
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Article 159. The German military forces shall be demobilised and reduced as follows
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Article 160. By a date which must not be later than March 31, 1920, the German Army must not comprise more than
seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of cavalry.
The Army shall be devoted exclusively to the maintenance of order within the territory and to the control of the frontiers.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because
Article 231. Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which
the Allied Governments have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of
Germany and her allies.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Article 232. The Allied Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate to make complete
reparation for all such loss and damage, however, they require that Germany will make compensation for all damage done
to the civilian population of the Allied Powers and to their property during the period of the war.
Supports peace and recovery because Does not support peace and recovery because

Document 12

17) What impact did paying war reparations have on Germany according to the cartoon?
Document 13
Germany will make its last reparations payment for World War I on Oct. 3, settling its outstanding debt from the
1919 Versailles Treaty and quietly closing the final chapter of the conflict that shaped the 20th century.
Oct. 3, the 20th anniversary of German unification, will also mark the completion of the final chapter of World
War I with the end of reparations payments 92 years after the country's defeat.
The German government will pay the last installment of interest on foreign bonds it issued in 1924 and 1930 to
raise cash to fulfil the enormous reparations demands the victorious Allies made after World War I.
The reparations bankrupted Germany in the 1920s and the fledgling Nazi party seized on the resulting public
resentment against the terms of the Versailles Treaty.
The sum was initially set at 269 billion gold marks, around 96,000 tons of gold, before being reduced to 112
billion gold marks by 1929, payable over a period of 59 years.
Germany suspended annual payments in 1931 during the global financial crisis and Adolf Hitler unsurprisingly
declined to resume them when he came to power in 1933.
But in 1953, West Germany agreed at an international conference in London to service its international bond
obligations from before World War II. In the years that followed it repaid the principal on the bonds, which had
been issued to private and institutional investors in countries including the United States.
David Crossland, “Germany Set to Make Final World War 1
Reparation Payment,” ABC News.com, Sept. 29, 2010

18) According to the article, what was one impact the reparations had on Germany?

Part B
Essay
Directions:
• Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Use evidence from at least 6 documents to support your response.
• Include additional related information.
Historical Context:

On June 28, 1919 – seven and a half months after the horrific fighting of World War I ended on November
1918 – the Treaty of Versailles was signed by the victorious Allied nations of Great Britain, France, Italy,
and the United States as well as the defeated Germany. The framers of the treaty hoped that it would
stabilize Europe and ensure that another catastrophic war would never happen again. But just over two
decades later, the flames of war consumed Europe again.
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of global history, write an essay in which you:

Was the Treaty of Versailles a good settlement to ensure the peace and help Europe recover from the war?
Be sure to include specific historical details.

DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTION GENERIC SCORING RUBRIC

Score of 5:
• Thoroughly addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least 6 documents
• Incorporates information from the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates relevant outside information
• Richly supports the theme or problem with relevant facts, examples, and details
• Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
• Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context
and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem
Score of 4:
• Addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least 6 documents
• Incorporates information from the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates relevant outside information
• Includes relevant facts, examples, and details, but discussion may be more descriptive than analytical
• Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
• Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context
and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem
Score of 3:
• Addresses most aspects of the Task or addresses all aspects of the Task in a limited way, using some of the documents
• Incorporates some information from the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates limited or no relevant outside information
• Includes some facts, examples, and details, but discussion is more descriptive than analytical
• Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization
• Introduces the theme or problem by repeating the Task or Historical Context and concludes by simply repeating the theme or
problem
Score of 2:
• Attempts to address some aspects of the Task, making limited use of the documents
• Presents no relevant outside information
• Includes few facts, examples, and details; discussion restates contents of the documents
• Is a poorly organized essay, lacking focus
• Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem
Score of 1:
• Shows limited understanding of the Task with vague, unclear references to the documents
• Presents no relevant outside information
• Includes little or no accurate or relevant facts, details, or examples
• Attempts to complete the Task, but demonstrates a major weakness in organization
• Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem
Score of 0: Fails to address the Task, is illegible, or is a blank paper
Documents/arguments that support IN FAVOR of the Documents/arguments that support AGAINST the
Treaty of Versailles Treaty of Versailles