The Truth About the Treaty

What it is

This is a 1921 book, published in Indianapolis by the Bobbs-Merrill Company, written by André Tardieu. It has a foreword by Edward M. House and an introduction by Georges Clemenceau. The book is about the Peace Treaty signed at Versailles on June 28, 1919. The copy in the archive was digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from the University of Toronto.

The foreword says that Tardieu was a participant in the peace negotiations and that, apart from Clemenceau, no Frenchman could write with as much authority about the treaty.

Why it matters

The book shows how the peace settlement was defended and explained to the public soon after it was made. Clemenceau's introduction gave the work his personal endorsement, and the book reflects the view of French leaders about the treaty.

Look closer

• Who wrote the foreword and introduction, and why might their support matter to readers?
• Whose point of view does this book present, and whose does it leave out?
• How does the author's position as a participant affect how far his account can be trusted?