Final answer:
The Treaty of Versailles aimed to prevent Germany from initiating future conflicts, demanding reparations, limiting military capabilities, and assigning war guilt. While it intended to establish peace, the punitive approach fostered resentment leading to World War II.
Step-by-step explanation:
Intent of the Treaty of Versailles
The primary intent of the Treaty of Versailles was to prevent Germany from causing another war. This was achieved through several measures, including demanding that Germany accept responsibility for starting World War I through the "war guilt clause," making them pay reparations, and limiting their military capabilities. Contrary to fostering unity or rebuilding any single nation's finances, the treaty aimed to penalize Germany, return Alsace and Lorraine to France, and reshape Europe's national borders following the Great War's devastation.
Despite President Wilson's hope for "a just and lasting peace," the European Allied powers, particularly France and Great Britain, focused on punitive measures. They sought to ensure Germany would be unable to wage war again by significantly weakening its military and economic strength. However, these harsh penalties contributed to a climate of bitterness and eventually led to the conditions that sparked World War II.