The Final Days of WWI IB 20th Century History

Defeat of Central Powers 1918 Russia was out of the War (Russian Revolution) Central Powers focus on taking over Paris May 1918 just 37 miles from Paris but U.S. troops arriving everyday. End of September 1918: Turkey asks for peace Austro-Hungarian empire breaks up

Armistice – an agreement to stop fighting November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. all fighting stops and WWI comes to an end

Cost of WWI 16 million dead 1.8 million Germans, 1.8 million Russians 1.4 million French 1 million Austria and Hungary 1 million British 110,000 U.S. 21 million wounded Total cost was more than $300 billion

War Deaths by Country

The Story so far… World War I is over, the killing has ceased. January 18, 1919, a conference was built at the Palace of Versailles. The Allied powers, the victors of WWI, meet to clean up the war mess.

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

Meeting at Versailles Paris Peace Conference Delegates representing 32 countries Major decisions were made by the Big Four: Woodrow Wilson (U.S.) Georges Clemenceau (France) David Lloyd George (Great Britain) Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

Conflict of Interests France wanted security over another German attack, return of Alsace-Lorraine Britain wanted Germany’s African’s colonies & destruction of Germany’s navy Italy also wanted land Japan wanted German colonies in the Pacific

“I can predict with absolute certainty that within another generation there will be another world war if the nations of the world do not concert the method by which to prevent it." Woodrow Wilson, 1919

The League of Nations Wilson's 14 points

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.

How did America react to the Waging Peace/Post WWI How did America react to the Treaty of Versailles?

Why did the US Reject the Treaty of Versailles? Critics of the Treaty believed that the League would drag the US into future European wars (Senator Henry Cabot Lodge) Americans were “war weary” and wanted to return to isolationism Wilson suffered a stroke and was unable to sell the treaty to the people The US refused to join the League of Nations, making the League a “paper tiger” or weak on the world stage.

America's Reaction

Treaty of Versailles 1919 French, British, and U.S. argued and finally compromised. The product was The Treaty of Versailles. Signed between Germany and the Allied powers, June 28. 1919. Adopted Wilson’s 14th point, created League of Nations Aimed for world peace, stopping further wars General Assembly, 32 allied and neutral nations Executive Council, the 5 Allied Powers U.S. Great Britain France Italy Japan Germany and Russia were left out of the League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles 7. Allow allied troops in Rhineland 8. Establish “Polish Corridor” to sea 9. Not manufacture war materials 10. Make army smaller 11. Establish League of Nations 1. Pay reparations 2. Admit guilt 3. Give up territory 4. Not build up Rhineland 5. Free Poland 6. Make Danzig a free city

Punishments Against Germany Treaty of Versailles also punished Germany: Portions of Germany’s territories were taken away, colonies in Asia and Africa were given to League of Nations to be administered. Military restrictions Article 231-” Germany was solely responsible for the war”, therefore, had to pay reparations to the Allies. Major Provisions League of Nations Germany Loses Territory Germany is restricted in its military War Guilt 32 Allied Nations, But… Germany & Russia are excluded Germany has to return Alsace-Lorraine to France Germany loses all of its overseas territory in Africa & Pacific Cannot buy/build military weapons or war machines Set limit to size of army Is declared totally responsible for World War I Has to pay the equivalent $33 Billion to Allies in 30 years Alsace-Lorraine is given up to France Germany

End of World War I > Europe in 1914

End of World War I > Europe in 1919

New Nations Formed Negotiated between Allies and defeated nations (Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire) 1919, 1920. It literally broke down Europe into many tinier new nations. Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken down into independent nations: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia Ottomans had to give up all the land lost in Southwest Asia, losing Palestine, Iraq, and Transjordan to British rule. Syria and Lebanon went to France. The Ottomans could only keep Turkey. Russia lost territory to Romania and Poland. Also, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (formerly part of Russia) become independent nations. Europe Before WWI After WWI

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.”

Legacy of WWI This was a New kind of war. New weapons and technology were introduced killing people faster, and more efficiently than ever before. War was brought to the global scale People could see that war could get extremely destructive.