The End of World War I The Peace Negotiations

Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 1. No secret treaties 2. Freedom of the seas 3. Tariffs and economic barriers should be lowered or abolished 4. Reduction of armaments 5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial people 6 – 13.Boundaries based on self-determination and nationality 14. A League of Nations

The “Big Four”  David Lloyd George of Great Britain  Vittorio Orlando of Italy  Georges Clemenceau of France  Woodrow Wilson of the United States

Different Nations – Different Intentions  Great Britain – to limit the size of German navy; refused to back freedom of the seas  France – to prevent future attacks from Germany; establish a buffer zone  Italy – to gain land  United States – Idealistic goals: “peace without victory”, “war to end wars”, “make the world safe for democracy”; solve MAIN causes

The Treaty of Versailles  Germany – disarmed  Germany lost its colonies in Asia & Africa  Germany forced to admit guilt for the war (Article 231)  Germany had to pay huge reparation payments  ($33 billion) to Allies  Germany had to accept occupation of the Rhineland by France for 15 years & return Alsace-Lorraine to France  Independence to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, & Finland  New Nations created: Poland, Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia  Created League of Nations

U.S. Debate on the Treaty of Versailles

Support for the Treaty  Woodrow Wilson  Many Democrats  Majority of American people  Those who believed in the League of Nations  Would meet the threats to world peace  Would create forum where nations could talk through their disagreements  Would provide collective security

Opponents of the Treaty - Irreconcilables  Senator William Borah  Some Republican Senators  Those who could not accept membership in the League of Nations

Opponents of the Treaty - Reservationists  Senator Henry Cabot Lodge  Larger group of Senators  Those who could accept the League of Nations if certain “reservations” were added to the agreement  Those who believed that membership in the League  Would threaten U.S. isolation  Would require U.S. involvement in Europe & in wars without consent of Congress

Rejection of the Treaty  Senate voted twice in 1919 to reject the Treaty (with and without the reservations)  Senate rejected the Treaty again in 1920 after Wilson encouraged loyal supporters of the Treaty to reject it with any reservations attached

Reasons for refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles  Wilson unwilling to compromise  Wilson alienated Senate Republicans by not including them in the Paris delegation  The American people assumed the Senate would ratify the Treaty & did not make their wishes known to their representatives  “Article X”  US feared the League of Nations would “entangle” the US in European affairs  US worried that it would lose its sovereignty to the League of Nations

US in International Affairs after World War I  Washington Naval Disarmament Conference (1920 – 1921)  The Five-Power Treaty, signed by the United States, Great Britain, Japan, France and Italy  Limited battleship production by ratio 5:5:3 ( US + GB = 5; J = 3; F + I = 1.75)  The Nine Power Treaty promised the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal would respect the territorial integrity of China. (Tries to enforce the 1898 Open Door Policy)  London Naval Disarmament Conference – 1930  Great Britain, the United States, Japan, France, and Italy  10:7 ratio on light cruisers and destroyers and maintained the 10:6 ratio on heavy cruisers (US + GB= 10; Japan = 7, etc.)  Kellog-Briand Pact – 1928……

Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928  Between US and France (eventually 62 nations)  Condemned war as a solution to international controversies

Should the U.S. Join the League of Nations?  Reasons in favor  Primary Source Reading  James Phelan;  Viewpoint 20A  Reasons against  Primary Source Reading  Lawrence Sherman ;  Viewpoint 20B See handout…..