Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which the 1919 Paris Peace Conference after World War I was a success or a failure.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Evaluating the 1919 Paris Peace Conference: Success or Failure?
The 1919 Paris Peace Conference, held in the aftermath of World War I, was a pivotal event that aimed to establish a new world order and prevent future conflicts. This conference led to the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, which outlined the terms of peace and imposed significant penalties on Germany. The extent to which the Paris Peace Conference was a success or a failure remains a topic of debate among historians. This essay will evaluate the outcomes of the conference and argue that while it had some successes, it ultimately fell short of achieving lasting peace.
Thesis Statement:
The 1919 Paris Peace Conference can be seen as both a success and a failure. While it successfully addressed some immediate issues and established the League of Nations, its failure to address underlying causes of future conflicts and its harsh treatment of Germany contributed to the seeds of discontent that would lead to World War II.
Successes of the Paris Peace Conference:
1. Establishment of the League of Nations: One of the key achievements of the Paris Peace Conference was the creation of the League of Nations, an international organization aimed at maintaining peace and resolving disputes diplomatically. The League of Nations represented a significant step towards international cooperation and collective security.
2. Redrawing of National Borders: The conference led to the redrawing of national borders in Europe, with the creation of new states such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. This restructuring aimed to address ethnic and nationalist aspirations, promoting self-determination for various groups.
3. Accountability for War Crimes: The Treaty of Versailles included provisions for holding individuals accountable for war crimes and atrocities committed during the war. This marked a significant step towards establishing international norms and responsibilities for acts of aggression.
Failures of the Paris Peace Conference:
1. Harsh Treatment of Germany: The Treaty of Versailles imposed heavy penalties on Germany, including massive reparations, territorial losses, and military restrictions. This punitive approach humiliated Germany and fueled resentment, creating a sense of injustice that would later contribute to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the outbreak of World War II.
2. Failure to Address Root Causes: The Paris Peace Conference failed to address some of the underlying causes of conflict, such as nationalism, economic instability, and unresolved territorial disputes. The failure to create a sustainable framework for peace left unresolved tensions that would eventually erupt into another global conflict.
3. Limited Scope of Inclusion: The conference was dominated by the Allied powers, particularly France, Britain, and the United States, with limited representation from defeated nations and smaller states. This lack of inclusivity undermined the legitimacy of the peace settlement and hindered its long-term effectiveness.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the 1919 Paris Peace Conference can be viewed as a mixed outcome, with both successes and failures. While it achieved some important milestones such as the establishment of the League of Nations and national self-determination, its shortcomings in addressing root causes of conflict and its punitive treatment of Germany set the stage for future instability. Ultimately, the Paris Peace Conference was a missed opportunity to create a lasting and just peace, underscoring the complexities and challenges of post-war diplomacy.
