1. The Road to the Treaty of Versailles
The End of WWI
The Road to the Treaty of Versailles
By Spring of 1917, WWI had wrecked Europe. Many believed Americans would bring a quick end to war.

2. New Technology Needed solution to classic trench warfare Solutions:
Poisonous gas causing vomiting, blindness, suffocation
Tanks
Airplanes for observation, then small bombs, then machine guns
Trench warfare—diagram

3. The Americans and Victory
Winning the war at sea: convoys
Convoy: merchant & troop transports gathered intro groups protected by warships
Russia leaves the war in March 1917
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Germany gains territory but leaves remaining Russian lands
German offensive falters: March 1917 near Paris
Battle of Argonne Forest: Largest attack in American history
600,000 American troops; 40,000 tons of supplies; 4,000 artillery pieces
Massive casualties on both sides but open hole in German lines
Revolution in Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Turks surrender, naval mutiny in Kiel = people in Berlin rise in rebellion and force German emperor to step down
11th hour on the the 11th day of the 11th Month, 1918 Germany signs armistice to end war
German attack on Western front--

4. WWI Ends! Now What?
January 1919: peace conference began in near Paris to resolve issues arising from WWI
Principle figures in the negotiation: The “Big Four”
United States President Woodrow Wilson 
Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando 
French Premier Georges Clemenceau
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George 

5. Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles

6. Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
Wilson believed that WWI would be the last great international conflict
Proposed 14 Points to Congress in January 1918
First 5 points proposed to eliminate the general causes of war through:
Free trade
Disarmament
Freedom of the seas
Impartial adjustment of colonial claims
Open diplomacy instead of secret treaties
Next 8 Points addressed the right to self-determination and required Central Powers to evacuate all of the countries invaded during the war
14th Point: League of Nations
Member nations would preserve peace and prevent future wars

7. Negotiations All involved countries wanted different things: France
Germany must PAY!!!
Britain
Germany must pay BUT not so much that they turn to Communism (Rise of Communism in Russia had the rest of Europe nervous!)
United States
14 Points
Italy
Mostly left out of negotiations. Wanted territorial gains in Adriatic coast promised to Italy from the Secret Treaty of London.
Germany
Not allowed to participate. Only invited to sign the Treaty (or else!)

8. The Treaty of Versailles
Germany forced to:
Reduce Army and Navy (+ no submarines)
Destroy air force
Give land to Belgium, Poland, France, and Denmark
Give up all colonies
Pay Reparations
Accept all blame for the war
League of Nations formed
New Countries Created: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland (land lost from Russia) AND Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary (land lost from Austro- Hungarian Empire)

9. Europe Before and After the Treaty of Versailles

10. Wilson goes back to the United States…
Disappointed about 14 Points BUT happy because League of Nations adopted
US Congress rejects the adoption of the League of Nations
Wilson travels the country trying to gain support for the League