“Peace” in 1919

Russia’s defeat in 1917 meant the Germans were able to bring thousands of troops from the Eastern Front to the West. In early 1918, the Germans launched the ‘Ludendorff Offensive’, which nearly overwhelmed the Allied defenses. They recovered, and then launched their own offensives which took them into Germany. Germany was exhausted and on the point of collapse.

 After the German defeat in the spring, this fall fight was the beginning of the end  Germany made one last effort to the west, and was met with fresh American troops and 350 new (bigger) tanks  A series of Allied wins after this spelled the end of the war  November 11, 1918 France and Germany signed an armistice ending the war

 32 countries sent representatives to Versailles in France to hammer out agreements after the war  The Big Four : Woodrow Wilson – US Georges Clemenceau – France David Lloyd George – Britain Vittorio Orlando – Italy  Germany was not present (or invited)  Russia was in the middle of a civil war and unable to participate

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando French Premier Georges Clemenceau U.S. President Woodrow Wilson

 Woodrow Wilson: World peace and its maintenance  Clemenceau: Security and Reparations (Make it so Germany can never be strong enough to fight again)  Britain: guarantee of access to sea-lanes and western hemisphere  Go to: erence,_1919 and find more information on the goals each of the Big Four had for the peace treaties

 Wanted to create a world where war was forever banished  Fourteen Points  1-4: no secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, and reduced armies and navies  5-13: ending colonialism, creating new countries for the ethnic groups left behind/changing borders  14: The League of Nations—an international association whose goal was to keep peace among nations  While still in Wikipedia, type in “14 points”

 League of Nations was created (US did not join)  Ottoman Empire was dissolved and turned into mandates rather than independent nations  Alsace and Lorraine back to France  Great Britain and US promise to protect France if Germany builds up and army ever again  Germany was forbidden to have an air force, a small army and navy  Territory in the east goes back to Poland (from Russia)  Reparations (payments) with no $ amount or time frame for payment  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.”

 Use page 427 in the Modern WH book to complete the chart League of Nations Territorial Losses Military Restrictions War Guilt