Aftermath of World War I

Targets 1. Analyze Wilson’s 14 point plan 2. Critique the effectiveness of the Treaty of Versailles 3. Evaluate the legacy of World War I

Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 1. Nations should only engage in open covenants (agreements) openly arrived at. There should be no secret treaties among nations Alliance Systems 2. Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all. Militarism

Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 3. Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade Nationalism 4. Arms should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety” in order to lessen militaristic impulses during diplomatic crises Militarism

Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial people as well as the interests of the imperialist powers Imperialism 6-13 “National groups who claimed particular ethnic identify were to decide for themselves what nation they would belong to Nationalism

Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 14. Formation of the League of Nations Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Europe’s Reaction? Allies Rejected Wilson’s Plan Why Anger Make Germany Pay Prevent further German aggression

The Treaty of Versailles Palace of Versailles The “Big Four” U.S., Britain, France, Italy

Provisions of the Treaty 1. Established 9 new nations and shifted the boundaries of others 2. demilitarized Germany No air force, most of navy, army = 100,000 men 3. Germany lost colonies 4. pay reparations (war damages) 33 billion 5. Germany signed War-guilt clause Germany had to acknowledge that it was responsible for World War I (20 million deaths)

More Weaknesses of the Treaty Humiliated Germany (War Guilt Clause)

Weaknesses of the Treaty Reparations (33 billion) Took away colonies so there is no way to pay Huge debt Leads to massive inflation

Even more Weaknesses Russia 1917 Russia had a revolution Bolsheviks (communists) Vladimir Lenin Russia becomes Soviet Union Dropped out of war was not included in the Treaty

“That evil thing with the holy name.” Senate’s Reaction Rejected it Why? League of Nations Henry Cabot Lodge “That evil thing with the holy name.”

A New Look for Europe

Legacy of the War Domestic consequences 1. Accelerated America’s emergence as the greatest industrial power 2. Contributed to the movement of African Americans to the cities (Great Migration) 3. Anti-immigrant attitudes

Impact on Germany? We never really let the Germans know who won the war. They are being told that their army was stabbed in the back, betrayed, that their army had not been defeated. The Germans never believed that they were beaten. It will have to be done all over again. Americans didn’t care. They just wanted a “return to normalcy.” John Pershing