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Why did the Treaty of Versailles forbid a union between Germany and Austria?

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Treaty of Versailles The “Big Four” (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles and the associated Treaty of Saint-Germain expressly forbade a political union, or Anschluss, between Germany and Austria without the consent of the Council of the League of Nations.1

While the principle of national self-determination was applied to other territorial adjustments following World War I, the Allied powers prohibited this union to prevent the resurgence of a unified German-speaking power that could threaten the postwar balance of power in Europe. The prohibition was intended to ensure that the newly created, militarily and financially weakened Austrian state remained independent, rather than strengthening Germany following its defeat. Despite this restriction, the desire for such a union remained a significant political hope for many, particularly among Austrian Social Democrats, throughout the interwar period until the eventual annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938.1234