End of the Great War and the Treaty of Versailles

November 11, 1918: Armistice!

Paris Peace Conference, 1919

Paris Peace Conference Where – Versailles (outside of Paris) When – January 1919 Why – To arrange terms of peace Who – British Prime Minister David Lloyd George French Premier Georges Clemenceau Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando U.S. President Woodrow Wilson

Treaty of Versailles Between Allies and Germany Signed in Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles, June 28, 1919

Woodrow’s Plan 1918 Woodrow proposed his Fourteen Points Outlined a plan for maintaining peace Proposed the following points: 1st Point: End all secret treaties 2nd Point: Freedom of the Seas 3rd Point: Free trade 4th Point: Reduce national armies (trying to stop militarism) 5th Point: Colonial Fairness (trying to stop harsh imperialism) 6th-13th Points: Rearranging borders (self-determination) 14th Point: Create a general association of nations that would negotiate solutions to world conflicts (The League of Nations)

Unsatisfied with Wilson’s plan Plan threatened national security Plan was too nice– GB and France thought it lacked punishment against Germany Wanted to take away Germany’s power Clemenceau wanted Germany to pay for France’s suffering France lost more than 1,000,000 soldiers and civilians during wartime. This was about 11% of the population. France’s land was destroyed and devastated.

Treaty of Versailles Crucial Terms: Clause 231: “War guilt” clause: “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.” Clause 232: reparations, eventually calculated at $33,000,000,000 (1921) Covenant of the League of Nations

Things soon begin to fall apart US Congress rejected Versailles Treaty Henry Cabot Lodge Sept. 1919: Wilson's 8000 mile tour, 40 speeches; 29 cities (22 days) Wilson collapsed Nov. 2, 1920: Warren Harding elected US President Aug. 1921: US signed a separate Treaty with Germany

Post-WWI new nation-states

Unlasting peace U.S. rejected the treaty Americans thought that if they wanted peace, they should get themselves out of European affairs. Germany is upset War-guilt clause caused them to hate the Allies. Economically devastated Militarily restricted In their point of view, unfairly sanctioned Colonies were unsatisfied that they could still not gain independence Japan and Italy did not get what they wanted out of the war—land, so also backed out. Without consent or support of U.S., the League of Nations could not do anything to amend or take any action. Observer at Versailles noted the treaty was merely, “a peace built on quicksand.”