The End of World War I

The Last Year of the War 1917 had been a bad year for the Allied forces Offenses on the Western Front had been badly defeated Russian Revolution led to Russia leaving the war Entry of the United States gave the Allied forces the psychological boost and supplies they needed to carry on the war effort

New German Offensive German was encouraged by the withdrawal of Russia from the war Erich Ludendorff  a military strategist who came up with idea to have a large offensive in the west to break the stalemate Attack launched in March 1918 German forces stopped at the Second Battle of Marne on July 18 French, Moroccan, and American troops pushed the Germans back across the Marne

New German Offensive Second Battle of Somme  August 8 “August 8 was the black day of German history of this war” – Ludendorff One million American troops came into France and began an advance towards Germany September 29, 1918  Ludendorff told German leaders that the war was lost and to ask for peace at once

Collapse and Armistice Germans found the Allies unwilling to peace with the autocratic and imperial government of Germany November 3, 1918  sailors in Kiel, Germany mutinied Emperor Wilhelm II gave in to public demands and left the nation on November 9 Friedrich Ebert announced the creation of a democratic republic in Germany November 11, 1918  an armistice, or a trust or agreement to end the fighting, was signed by the new German government

Revolutionary Forces A group of radical socialists, unhappy with the reforms of the party in charge, formed as the German Communist Party in December 1918 Communists tried to seize power in Berlin Social Democratic government crushed rebellion and murdered Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht (leaders of the Communist Party) Left middle class with a deep fear of communism Austria-Hungary experienced disintegration and revolution Empire broken into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia

Peace Settlements January 1919, representations of 27 Allied nations met in Paris to make an official settlement of World War I Reasons for fighting the war had changed from the beginning of the war to the end 1914: territories 1918: idealistic reasons

Wilson’s Proposals Wilson outlined his “fourteen points” to the United States Congress Reaching peace agreements openly rather than through secret diplomacy Reducing armaments (military forces) Ensuring self-determination Believed that absolutism and militarism were the enemies of liberty Wilson called for a new world order based on democracy and international cooperation

Paris Peace Conference Secret agreements and treaties made before the war had led to the belief of territorial gains David Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Britain, had won his position on the promise of making the Germans pay for the war Georges Clemenceau, Premier of France, wanted revenge against the Germans for the suffering of the French people Wanted security against future German attacks Germany should be stripped of all weapons and reparations (large payments) should be made to cover the cost of the war Separate Rhineland should be established as a buffer state between France and Germany

Paris Peace Conference Big Four Powers  Great Britain, France, United States, and Italy Made almost all of the decision about peace agreements Germany was not invited to attend Russia could not attend because of the civil war Wilson wanted to create the League of Nations to prevent future wars Clemenceau and Lloyd George wanted to punish Germany

Council of Four at the Versailles Peace Conference: Lloyd George, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Georges Clemenceau, President Woodrow Wilson

Paris Peace Conference January 25, 1919  conference accepted the idea of the League of Nations Wilson agreed to make compromises over territorial gains Clemenceau compromised by giving up the separate Rhineland for a defensive alliance with Britain and the United States US Senate refused to ratify the agreement, which weakened the Versailles peace settlement

Treaty of Versailles Final peace settlement was made up of five separate treaties with Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey Treaty of Versailles with the Germans was most important War Guilt Clause  declared Germans were responsible for starting the war Germany had to pay reparations for all damages to the Allied powers Germany must reduce army to 100,000 men, cut back its navy, and eliminate its air force Alsace and Lorraine would be given back to France Sections of east Germany would be given to the new Polish state Demilitarized zone along the Rhine River

New Maps of Europe Treaties made after the war redrew the map of eastern Europe Germany and Russia lost much territory Austro-Hungarian Empire disappeared New countries developed from these lost lands: Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Hungary Romania gained new lands and Yugoslavia combined Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes

Legacies of War Almost every eastern European nation was left with ethnic minorities Germans in Poland; Hungarians, Poles, and Germans in Czech.; Hungarians in Romania; Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in Macedonia; Albanians in Yugoslavia Ottoman Empire had been broken up after the war Allied powers had promised Arab nations recognition after the war But, France still controlled Syria and Britain controlled Palestine and Iraq

Mandate System Territories in the Middle East became known as Mandates In this system, a nation officially governed a territory on a temporary basis as a mandate on behalf of the League of Nations Nation did not own the territory

Impact of War Shattered liberal, rational society in Europe Deaths of almost 10 million people, along with the destruction caused by war, undermined the progress previously made Powers of government over people increased following the war Personal freedoms were limited Strong central authorities became common