One of the aims of the Allies was to keep Germany weak so that it would not be able to start any wars again. This aim was particularly important to France, which shared a common border with Germany. The Rhineland, an area between France and Germany, was to be demilitarized to create a buffer zone between Germany and France. Germany was also only allowed to have a small army of 100,000 men. It was also not allowed to have any submarines, tanks or planes. These terms were intended to make Germany so weak that it would not be able to start future wars.
Another aim of the Allies was to make Germany pay for the huge costs of World War One. The war caused unprecedented damage and losses to all parties. Germany was made the scapegoat as it was the loser. The treaty contained the war guilt clause, which made Germany accept the full blame for the war. As a result, it had to pay reparations to the Allies to compensate for war damages. The amount worked out to an astronomical 6,600 million pounds! As the Allies suffered heavy losses, they wanted to make Germany compensate them.
Another aim of the Allies was to prevent a war of this scale from happening again. The countries in Europe were so devastated by the war that they had to spend millions and years to rebuild their countries. To avoid such devastation, the League of Nations was set up to help ensure world peace. The League was an international organization that worked on the idea of ‘collective security’. Countries would work together to punish aggressor nations so that they would not start wars. The League was also a platform for countries to resolve their disputes so that minor disagreements would not blow up into full-scale wars. Hence, the League was crucial in helping to prevent future wars.
Another aim of the Allies was to support self-determination in Europe. Wilson, the President of the United States, believed that