There was suspense as Count Brockdorff-Rantzau presented the final terms of the Allies to the German Government at Wei mar. The Allied Armies of Occupation prepared for a general advance into Germany if the Germans should refuse to sign the treaty. The Scheidemann Ministry resigned on June 20, and the new Premier, Bauer, offered on the next day to sign the treaty without its articles requiring the surrender of war criminals and declaring Germany solely responsible for causing the war. The Allies refused. In this tense situation, the crews of the German battle-fleet scuttled their ships in Scapa Flow. But on June 22 Bauer obtained the permission of the Weimar National Assembly to sign without conditions, and the new German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miiller, with his colleague, Dr. Bell, at last on June 28 signed the treaty in the Salle des Glaces at Versailles.
Subsidiary Agreements.—Dependent upon the Treaty of Versailles, although apparently the result of separate negotiations among the interested Powers, were several other treaties and in ternational agreements : (I) two defensive treaties, each signed by France, first with Great Britain, and next, with the United States. The two latter Powers bound themselves to come to the aid of France in case of an unprovoked aggression by Germany any time within the next ten years. Great Britain made her ratification dependent on that of the United States. The latter refused to
ratify, and so both treaties became nugatory ; (2) a protocol de fining certain ambiguities in the Treaty of Versailles; (3) an agreement among the United States, Belgium, the British Empire, France and Germany to define the nature of the military occupa tion of the Rhineland; (4) a treaty between Poland and the Allies to assure protection of life and liberty to all inhabitants of Poland without distinction as to birth, nationality, language, race or reli gion. Similar protection was later secured by the Allied Powers for minorities in Czechoslovakia, Rumania and Yugoslavia, pro visions which were not applied to Italy (see MINORITIES; ST. GERMAIN, TREATY OF).
Ratification.—The Treaty of Versailles was ratified on July 9 by Germany, and by Oct. Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan also had ratified. The exchange of ratifications was delayed for two reasons. First, it was hoped that the Senate of the United States would ratify at least with reservations. Second, Germany must make amends for the destruction of its fleet in violation of the Armistice. On Nov. 19, 1919, the American Senate failed to ratify; but on Jan. IO, 1920, Germany finally signed a protocol to give compensation for scuttling the fleet. Then the exchange of ratifications was made at Paris between the European Allies and Germany, and on Jan. 16, 1920, the League of Nations was formally inaugurated.