Ending the “War to End All Wars” …and setting the stage for WWII

“To the victor, go the spoils” “He who wins the war writes the history”

A Plan for Peace: Wilson’s Fourteen Points  Outlined a plan for creating a “just and lasting peace”  Points 1-4: Ending secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, and reducing national armies and navies  Point 5: Adjustment of colonial claims with fairness toward colonial peoples  Point 6-13: Specific suggestions for changing borders and creating new nations  Point 14: Proposed a “general association of nations” that would protect “great and small states alike”

League of Nations  The League’s member nations would help preserve peace and prevent future wars by pledging to respect and protect each other’s territory and political independence.

The Big Four Woodrow Wilson Vittorio Orlando David Lloyd George Georges Clemenceau

The Treaty of Versailles We want our territories back! No! Their military is the REAL problem! We should form a league of peace so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again! We want Germany to pay for what they did to Europe!

Bell Ringer What was the goal of the Sedition Act and what was the Supreme Court Case that upheld it?

Effects of the War How the Treaty Changes the World

 The other Allied governments saw Wilson’s plan as too lenient towards the “aggressor” nations.  Losses for Germany:  Officially blamed for the war  Stripped of its military  Its territories were split up  Were required to pay “reparations” to the Allied countries to a total of… “Reparations” 33 Billion Dollars!

How vill all dis affect de Germans?

Effects for Germany Germany experiences “hyper-inflation”: Inflation is the general rising of prices over time; hyper-inflation is an extreme increase in prices over a short period of time.

When trouble rears its ugly head, people need…

American Reaction to the Treaty of Versailles  Senate must approve Treaty of Versailles for it to take effect  “Irreconcilables” : Senators that id not want the Treaty passed  Article X: required the US to help a League nation if it were attacked  Would entangle the US in European affairs  Could take away Congress’ war powers

American Reaction to the Treaty of Versailles  Senate adds amendments to keep their power  Wilson ends up asking the people to vote against the Treaty  Treaty isn’t ratified and America doesn’t join the League of Nations  America retreats into isolationism

Forging Peace  The Washington Disarmament Conference was held to discuss the limitation on weapons to be held by each country, in hopes of preventing future wars, but had no method of enforcement.  Kellogg-Briand Pact: Outlawed war; nice idea, not gonna happen.

Home Front Effects Isolationism and Conflict

The Red Scare  Cause: Bolshevik Revolution and Russia’s retreat from WWI  The Red Scare:  The Red Scare: A fear of the rise of socialism, communism, and anarchists destroying the American way of life.  Fearful of workers revolutions (unions) and immigrants from undemocratic countries (South and Eastern Europe).  Xenophobia: An irrational or unreasoned fear of anything perceived to be foreign or strange.

The Palmer Raids (1919)  A group of Italian anarchists mail a series of letter bombs to prominent government officials, businessmen, and law enforcement officials  One detonated and damaged the home of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer

J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI  Palmer creates the Bureau of Investigation, General Intelligence Division  Led by J. Edgar Hoover  Would investigate the programs of radical groups and identify their members

The Palmer Raids (1919)  November 7, 1919, (the 2 nd anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution)  The Palmer Raids: A series of well-publicized and violent raids on suspected anarchists and socialist sympathizers by the Bureau of Investigation.  Targeted the Union of Russian Workers.  Many arrested, few actually deported (little to no evidence)

Postwar Labor Disputes  Many laborers went on strike following the end of WWI  Deals under the WLB no longer valid  Sought better wages, better conditions, and the ability to collectively bargain  Strikes were only mildly successful; fear of Communist revolution limited their success

Chicago Race Riots  Causes of racial tension: The Great Migration and the end of WWI  Cause of the Riots: A young African American was struck by a rock and died at an informally segregated beach.  The riot lasted about a week. During the riot, dozens died and hundreds were injured.  Red Summer of 1919: A wave of violence and riots that occurred during the summer following WWI.