The Failed Peace Now that the war was “over,” Wilson traveled to France to help the Allies set the terms of peace Remember “moral diplomacy?” He finally deemed the world “safe for democracy” 1 st U.S. Pres. to meet foreign leaders on foreign soil Hopes were high! Allied leaders from other countries did NOT share his hopes & visions

Wilson’s 14 Points Peace Plan Wilson honestly wanted world peace Europe honestly wanted revenge & to punish the Germans for the war Fourteen Points: 1918 President Wilson’s peace plan for post WW1 to avoid future wars

Wilson’s 14 Points Peace Plan 1. An end to secret agreements Secrecy had encouraged a messy web of rival alliances that had helped lead to war 2. Freedom of the seas & free trade 3. Limit on arms 4. Peaceful settlement of disputes over colonies 5. National self-determination: right of national groups to have their own territory & forms of gov’t

Wilson’s 14 Points Peace Plan 14. League of Nations: association of nations formed after ww1 under Wilson’s 14 point plan intended to protect the independence of all countries—large or small “Justice to all people & nationalities with their right to live on equal terms of liberty & safety with one another, whether weak or strong” + promotes peace & democracy - too vague, non-realistic, not all Allies wanted the same thing

Paris Peace Conference Diplomats from 30+ nations met at Paris & Versailles to negotiate 5 separate peace treaties Key issues were decided by the leaders of the Allied nations – Big Four: U.S. Britain, France, Italy

Disagreement Among the Allies Wilson wanted “peace without victory” = opposed punishing the defeated powers (already lost :-/) Other Allies wanted revenge – Reparations: cash payments for the losses they had suffered during the war – “War Guilt Clause”: Germany accepts responsibility for the war

Harsh Terms for Germany June 1919 Treaty of Versailles: treaty signed on June 28 th, 1919 by Germany & the Allies; formally placed the responsibility for the war on Germany and its allies – Germany wasn’t even allowed to send delegates to the peace talks Do you think that’s constructive or unconstructive? Why? – None of the Allies were satisfied (it’s hard to please everyone!)

Treaty of Versailles - Germany had to pay Allies HUGE reparations Cost of pensions for Allied soldiers/ their widows & children Reparation costs would exceed $300 billion – Do you think a country that just LOST a war would be able to choke that up? – Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France – Germany was stripped of its overseas colonies (now under GB or France)

Results: Several new nations formed on the principle of self- determination: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia & Poland Germans who had previously settled here would soon seek to regain control of German speaking people in Eastern Europe… Wilson’s 14 points were included in the peace treaty (prevention of future wars with peace) – Plan: talk over problems & find mediation If this failed: members would join together to fight aggressors

The Fight for the Versailles Treaty Majority favored the treaty – peace A minority opposed it – Too soft on defeated powers – German-Americans thought it too harsh – Used as a Republican platform to rip Wilson (D) apart – Isolationists: people who wanted the U.S. to stay out of world affairs & opposed the LON

The Defeated Treaty Wilson wouldn’t budge on how crucial his LON was…but people didn’t want it as much as he did He go so stressed out promoting it that he had a stroke Loose ends at the end of a war would now serve as a platform for future wars Waaaahhhh!!!