1. Wilson’s 14 Points and the Treaty of Versailles
Learning Goal 2: Explain the impact of Wilson’s Fourteen Points and describe the political and economic impact of the Treaty of Versailles.

2. WWI: Trench Warfare Misery
Early tank mask bottom right

3. Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry Regiment in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 17 battles. was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. Only dog promoted to sergeant. Decorated.  learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in no man's land, and — since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. 

4. By 1917, the war had stalled…
Stalemate: A situation in which neither side can win a clear victory
Both sides stayed in their trenches (defensive)
Armies had to begin to be creative with war tactics because going “over the top” of your trench to attack was so deadly

5. 1917: The US Entered WWI Previously: US officially was neutral…
Why did the US enter the war?
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany asked Mexico to form an alliance against the US
Message intercepted by British intelligence – US citizens outraged!
German U-boat attacks on US ships: Sinking of the Lusitania
By 1918, five million American troops were in France.

6. The Zimmerman Telegram

7. Political Cartoon: The Zimmerman Telegram

8. German front line trench

9. British maneuvering a tank through trenches, 1917

10. Trench in 2002, France

12. Canadian soldiers going “over the top” to attack

13. Writing letters home in a trench, c. 1914

14. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech
Jan. 1918: Wilson speech to Congress
Listed his ideas for a plan for peace (14 primary points)
Major idea- a League of Nations, an international group of nations working together to avoid future wars
Major idea – self-determination: a country’s borders should be chosen by the ethnic group living there
Later, some ideas were incorporated into the treaty that ended the war but others were not

15. Nov. 1918: The End of WWI
The Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany & The Ottoman Empire) = worn out
Video link
Spring 1918, The Ludendorff Offensive -the last German offensive of the war fails
German navy and factory workers rebel
Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany abdicated (gave up throne)
Austria-Hungary surrendered
Armistice signed!

16. Nov 1918: The Armistice

17. Paris Peace Conference
He had to give up some of his 14 Points in order to gain acceptance for the creation of a League of Nations
The US would not join due to lack of Congressional support
League of Nations: group of countries created to solve international conflicts (avoid war)

18. Paris Peace Conference
Allied leaders meet to work out a peace treaty
32 countries represented but not Germany
European focus: punish Germany
American focus: avoid future war
The Big Four:
Georges Clemenceau: France
David Lloyd George: Great Britain
Vittorio Orlando: Italy
Woodrow Wilson: United States
Germans surrendered on Nov 11, Peace negotiations began late 1918 and continued into 1919

19. 1919: Treaty of Versailles Treaty that officially ends WWI
Terms of the Treaty include
Germany pays reparations ($33 billion)
Demilitarization of Germany
Keep 100,000 men and 6 battleships
No submarines, tanks, poison gas, aircraft, and heavy artillery
Germany gives Alsace-Lorraine to France
Germany signs a war guilt clause
Former German colonies divided among the allies
Ban Germany and Austria from uniting (Anschluss)
Demilitarize the Rhineland
Trials for the Kaiser and other German leaders
Several new nations were created and many borders were changed
Create the League of Nations
US did not join…

20. Impacts of the Treaty of Versailles
Germany was forced to accept blame for the war by signing the war guilt clause.
Demilitarization & loss of territory designed to humiliate Germany
Heavy reparations send Germany into a depression

21. Effects of WWI
Weakened the power of Europe and began the rise of USA’s role as a world power
Fragmented the Middle East and spread nationalism
Ended the Austrian-Hungarian Empire
New political boundaries were drawn in Eastern Europe
Economic disruption, war debt and economic depression in the USA led to economic depression in Europe
Women’s suffrage movement intensified

22. Compare/Contrast Fourteen Points Treaty of Versailles
Both
Treaty of Versailles
No secret treaties
Self-determination for colonies
Remove trade barriers
Nothing about punishing Germany
Germany must accept guilt for the war
Germany loses its colonies
Germany must pay reparations
International court created
Freedom of seas/no blockades
League of Nations
Poland created
Reduce armaments
Ind. For Turkey & others