Editorial Note
The treaties of peace with Germany, Austria, and Hungary were signed by representatives of the United States in view of the fact that the United States had been in a state of war with each of these countries. The United States representatives signed the treaty of peace with Bulgaria without having been at war with that country, on the theory that article 10 of the Covenant of the League of Nations would obligate the United States to guarantee the settlements. None of these treaties was ratified by the United States. However, in August 1921, the United States concluded bilateral treaties restoring friendly relations with Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Each of these bilateral treaties provides that certain rights and privileges specified in the respective treaties of peace will be accorded to the United States.
The relevant portions of the treaties of peace with Austria and Hungary are printed with the bilateral treaties (Austria: TS 659, post, and Hungary: TS 660, post). However, because of general interest in the treaty of peace with Germany, commonly referred to as the Treaty of Versailles, the complete text of that treaty (with the exception of Part XIII, the ILO Constitution, which can be found on page 241) is printed here. The specific provisions of the Treaty of Versailles referred to in the bilateral treaty of August 25, 1921, between the United States and Germany (TS 658, post), are as follows: Section 1 of Part IV and Parts V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIV, and XV.
A definitive study of the treaty of peace with Germany was issued in 1947 by the Department of State entitled The Treaty of Versailles and After: Annotations of the Text of the Treaty (also incorporated into the Foreign Relations series as volume XIII, Paris Peace Conference, 1919). Particular attention is called to pages 29 to 35, which contain status information and references to the texts of the treaties of peace and various other agreements connected with the peace settlement following World War I.
