Treaty of Versailles: End of a World War, or Cause of Another?

National History Day
2022 Guides - Theme: Debate & Diplomacy in History
Research Guide Image
Newspaper declaring the Versailles Treaty was signed.

Getting Started

Begin your research by brainstorming keywords - the words and phrases you’ll use to search for books, articles, websites, government documents, and other resources. These may include names of people and places or historical concepts like eras and movements. A librarian can suggest “subject headings” to find the most relevant resources.

Example Keywords & Catalog Subject Headings

Treaty of Versailles
Paris Peace Conference
War Guilt Clause
German Reparations
Treaty of Versailles (1919 June 28)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Peace -- History.
Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Reparations.

Books/Print Resources at DPL

The Treaty of Versailles : a very short introduction
Treaty of peace with Germany : report of the conference between members of the …
Creating Hitler's Germany : the rise of extremism

Database/Online Resources

Library databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. If you don’t have a library card, register online for immediate access to these resources. The following recommended databases are available on our Research and Teen Social Studies pages.

Academic OneFile (Gale)

Articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources—including thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning. Covers subject areas such as, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.

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Visit Academic OneFile (Gale)
Sample Articles
Should nations pay the price for their leaders' misdeeds?
Making War, Making Peace: Versailles, 1919 Citation metadata
Treaty-making within the British Commonwealth
Balance of power: The Economic Consequences of the Peace at 100
Sample Articles
"This Is No Longer a Book, It Is a Political Event": The French Reception of John Maynard Keynes's Economic Consequences of the Peace (1919-1920)
Introduction: Of War and Peace: Aspects of British Policy and the Treaty of Versailles
Germany, Versailles, and the Limits of Nationhood.
Versailles: the economic legacy

World History (Gale)

From the ancient world to today’s headlines. A chronicle of the great cultures and societies that have formed the history of the human race. Rare primary sources, reliable reference and multimedia content put this vast topic into context.

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Visit World History (Gale)
Sample Articles
Versailles revisited; If the Allies had been more generous in 1919
Ending the war to end all wars
World War I Peace Treaties
Treaty of Versailles: Did the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 Provide the Framework for a Durable Peace?
Sample Articles
PLANNING TO FIX GERMAN INDEMNITY AT DEFINITE SUM: Lloyd George and Nitti Said to Have Suggested Figure of 60,000,000,000 Marks.
GERMANS GIVE UP WARSHIPS: Nassau and Ostfriesland Are Delivered in the Firth of Forth
GERMANS BEGIN EVACUATING LANDS LOST BY TREATY
VERSAILLES PEACE WILL BE SIGNED IN PARIS TODAY
Sample Articles
Treaty of Versailles, 1919 (Primary Source)
Germany: a New Carthage?
Germany Renounces the Treaty of Versailles
The War Guilt Question: A Note on Politics and Historiography in the Weimar Republic

Prospector: Materials from Other Colorado and Wyoming Libraries

​​As a Denver Public Library customer, you can also borrow materials from other libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. Use Prospector to request materials that DPL does not own.

Treaty of Versailles : a primary document analysis
Diplomatic Europe since the treaty of Versailles
The End of World War I : the Treaty of Versailles and its tragic legacy
The adventures of the fourteen points; vivid and dramatic episodes of the Peace…

Internet Sources

Before using information you find on the internet for assignments and research, it is important to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency.

Addresses of President Wilson : addresses delivered by President Wilson on his …
Primary Source. 66th Congress, 1st session. Senate. Document, no. 120. President Woodrow Wilson address the treaty with Germany after World War I.
The Treaty of Versailles and after : annotations of the text of the treaty
Available from Hathi Trust. An analyses of the Treaty of Versailles from the U.S. Department of State.
Treaty of Versailles: Primary Documents in American History
From the Library of Congress. Digitized resources relating to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.
The aftermath of the First World War
An overview of the events that occurred after World War I. From the Wiener Holocaust Library.
Topics in Chronicling America - Treaty of Versailles
From the Library of Congress. A sample of digitized newspaper articles relating to the Treaty of Versailles.

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