1. BELLRINGER
Write about a time that you had to take the blame for something that wasn’t entirely your fault?
How did it make you feel?
Your response should be 4-6 sentences for each question.

2. World War I The Great War The FINAL Episode
Russia is no longer in the war so Germany can now focus on the Western Front and France. However they must hurry before the U.S. gets involved. They try to distract the Americans but their plans fail. Once the U.S. enters, the war soon ends but not without a high cost. Every war has its price and someone MUST pay…

3. United States Gets Involved
Up to this point United States stayed out of the war. Wilson’s political campaign for re-election was “He kept us out of the war.”
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.
Things changed when Germany’s u-boats kept firing on innocent ships.
The Zimmerman Note
A letter from Germany to Mexico.
Wanted to distract USA
Public upset
Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
His plan for organizing post-war Europe and for avoiding future wars
Included his League of Nations idea where the leading powers would join together to prevent war and promote peace.

4. German Troops
Once Russia was out of the war the German troops were energized.
Focused on Western Front and made a strong offensive until U.S. arrived – lost 800,000 troops on the drive and got just 40 miles outside of Paris.
After U.S. involved German troops lose strength as success of the U.S.’s troops becomes apparent.
Some German soldiers simply gave up without a fight, knowing that Germany was defeated.

5. —French report on German morale, September 1918
“[German] officers in particular inform us of the weakness of their forces, the youth of their recruits, and the influence of the American entry. They are depressed by their heavy losses, by the poor quality of their food … They are worried and begin to doubt German power.”
—French report on German morale, September 1918
The Central powers approach the Allies and request and armistice which is an agreement to cease fighting.
On 11/11/1918 a peace treaty is signed and World War I is over.
The Allied Leaders met in France at Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors to negotiate a treaty.

6. The Treaty of Versailles
Everyone has their own agenda.
US, France, Great Britain, and Italy who had switched sides in 1915 all had different goals for Germany. Met in June 1919 at Versailles.

7. The “Big Four” Woodrow Wilson David Lloyd-George USA Great Britain
Vittorio Orlando
Italy
Georges Clemenceau
France

8. What did France want? Wanted security for France Also wanted revenge
Felt that Germany owed them reparations for all of the damages
Clemenceau wanted to make sure that Germany could not invade France in the future. He was determined that Germany should be made to pay for the damage that had been caused in northern France by the invading German armies.
Clemenceau: The Tiger

9. What did Britain Want? Said wanted to punish the Germans
Realized that Britain needed Germany to recover because she was an important trading partner.
He was also worried about the “disease from the east”, communism.
The Russian government had been overthrown by a communist revolution in Lloyd-George believed that the spread of communism had to be stopped. A strong Germany would be a barrier against it.
David Lloyd-George

10. What did the U.S. want?
Woodrow Wilson wanted the treaty to be based on his Fourteen Points
Believed Germany should be punished but not severely.
Wanted a just settlement that would not leave Germany feeling resentful
Wilson wanted to set up an international organisation called The League of Nations which would settle disputes. The American public did not support him. They were fed up with involvement in European affairs. The USA became more isolationist.
Woodrow Wilson

11. What did Italy Want? Wanted to gain territory for Italy.
He was largely ignored during negotiations.
Vittorio Orlando

12. The Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
To do with Germany’s armed forces:
The German army was to be reduced to 100,000 men.
It was not allowed to have tanks.
Germany was not allowed an air force
The German navy was to have no submarines or large battle-ships
To do with Territory:
Map redrawn and colonies throughout the world taken over by Allies.

15. The War Guilt Clause Reparations
Germany accepted responsibility for the war
"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 Associate Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of a war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her Allies." Article 231
Reparations
Germany agreed to pay for the damage caused by her armies during the war. The sum she had to pay was later fixed at £6.6 billion or 10.2 billion U.S. dollars

16. German Reactions
Germans thought the Treaty was a “diktat” : a dictated peace.
They had not been invited to the peace conference at Versailles and when the Treaty was presented to them they were threatened with war if they did not sign it.
The Treaty was NOT based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points as the Germans had been promised it would.
Most Germans believed that the War Guilt Clause was unjustified. Felt that the French and British had done just as much to start the war
Quote from German Foreign Minister: “We know the full brunt of hate that confronts us here. You demand from us to confess we were the only guilty party of war; such a confession in my mouth would be a lie.” – he refused to sign and resigned soon after.
The loss of territory and population angered most Germans who believed that the losses were too severe.
Many Germans believed the German economy would be crippled by having to pay reparations.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June It officially ended the 1st World War. Many historians believe that it was a major cause of the 2nd World War.
Most Germans were horrified by the harshness of the Treaty. There was anger amongst all groups in Germany, no matter what their political beliefs. Some German newspapers called for revenge for the humiliation of Versailles.
However anger was also directed against the government in Germany. Already there was a myth growing in the country that the German army had been “stabbed in the back” by politicians…the so called “November Criminals”. Now these same politicians had signed the “Diktat”, the dictated peace. The new democracy in Germany was now closely linked with the humiliation of Versailles.

17. The Cost Human Economic Political 8.5 million soldiers died
13 millions civilians killed
21.2 million wounded
Economic
$332 billion dollars
Economic chaos spread in Europe
Europe no longer world leader
Political
Widespread unrest
Communist Revolution in Russia
Monarchies overthrown
Colonies want their freedoms too
A flu epidemic in 1918 spread rapidly through military conditions and as the soldiers returned home from war they took it with them. It became a global epidemic that claimed an additional 50 million lives. Nearly an ENTIRE generation had been lost.
Austria-Hungary, Germany and Ottoman never have Monarchs after this