The The AfterAftermathmath

• The “war to end all wars” had The “war to end all wars” had lasted lasted fourfour long years, and it long years, and it was now time for peacewas now time for peace• The leaders of the The leaders of the victoriousvictorious

nations gathered at the nations gathered at the palace in palace in VersaillesVersailles, outside , outside Paris, to negotiate the termsParis, to negotiate the terms

Steps Toward Steps Toward PeacePeace

Wilson’s PlanWilson’s Plan•Wilson arrived in Wilson arrived in France with an France with an idealistic vision for idealistic vision for peace, including the peace, including the establishment of a establishment of a League of NationsLeague of Nations

- Wilson was praised just about - Wilson was praised just about everywhere he went, until he everywhere he went, until he arrived at Versaillesarrived at Versailles

- The allied leaders held too - The allied leaders held too much resentment towards much resentment towards GermanyGermany to agree to Wilson’s to agree to Wilson’s idealistic peace proposal, his idealistic peace proposal, his ““Fourteen PointsFourteen Points”, which ”, which Wilson had presented to Wilson had presented to Congress before the end of the Congress before the end of the warwar

Fourteen PointsFourteen Points• The first The first fivefive points were necessary points were necessary

to prevent another war:to prevent another war:–No secret treaties among nationsNo secret treaties among nations– Freedom of the seas maintained for allFreedom of the seas maintained for all– Tariffs and Tariffs and economic barrierseconomic barriers should be should be

abolished to promote abolished to promote free tradefree trade–Arms should be reduced to the lowest Arms should be reduced to the lowest

safe pointsafe point–Colonial policies should consider the Colonial policies should consider the

interests of colonial peoples as well as interests of colonial peoples as well as interests of imperialist powersinterests of imperialist powers

•The next The next eighteight points points dealt with boundary dealt with boundary changes, trying to changes, trying to follow historically follow historically

established boundary established boundary lines based on lines based on

nationality and nationality and self-self-determinationdetermination

League of NationsLeague of Nations• Wilson’s 14Wilson’s 14thth and final point and final point

called for the creation of a called for the creation of a national organization to deal national organization to deal with with diplomatic crisesdiplomatic crises, a , a “League of Nations” – a forum “League of Nations” – a forum for nations to discuss for nations to discuss grievances without having to grievances without having to resort to warresort to war

•Wilson ended up Wilson ended up conceding on most conceding on most

of his Fourteen of his Fourteen Points in return for Points in return for

the establishment of the establishment of the League of the League of

NationsNations

The ParticipantsThe Participants•The peace conference The peace conference at Versailles did not at Versailles did not include:include:–The defeated Central PowersThe defeated Central Powers

–RussiaRussia

–Smaller Allied NationsSmaller Allied Nations

• It did include:It did include:– Georges ClemenceauGeorges Clemenceau, the French Premier, who , the French Premier, who

had already lived through two German had already lived through two German invasions of Franceinvasions of France

– David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, , British prime ministerBritish prime minister who who was voted into office on the slogan “Make was voted into office on the slogan “Make Germany Pay”Germany Pay”

– Vittorio OrlandoVittorio Orlando,, Italian prime minister, who Italian prime minister, who wanted control of Austrian territory as per their wanted control of Austrian territory as per their agreement during the war, which had flipped agreement during the war, which had flipped Italy to the Allied sideItaly to the Allied side

– Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson

The ParticipantsThe Participants

Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles• June 28, 1919 – The “Big June 28, 1919 – The “Big Four” leaders met with Four” leaders met with the leaders of the the leaders of the defeated nations to sign defeated nations to sign the peace treaty at the peace treaty at VersaillesVersailles

What the Treaty did:What the Treaty did:• Established Established 9 new nations9 new nations from the from the

defeated nations, including defeated nations, including Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and PolandPoland• Shifted the boundaries of other Shifted the boundaries of other

nationsnations• Gave 5 areas of the Gave 5 areas of the Ottoman Ottoman

EmpireEmpire to France and Britain as to France and Britain as mandates, temporary coloniesmandates, temporary colonies

• It also barred Germany from It also barred Germany from maintaining an armymaintaining an army• It also required Germany to It also required Germany to

give give Alsace-LorraineAlsace-Lorraine back to back to FranceFrance• It also required Germany to It also required Germany to

pay pay reparationsreparations, or war , or war damages, of $33 billion to the damages, of $33 billion to the AlliesAllies

Treaty WeaknessesTreaty Weaknesses• Humiliation of Germany, including Humiliation of Germany, including

forcing them to sign a forcing them to sign a war-guilt war-guilt clauseclause, admission of sole , admission of sole responsibility for the start of WWIresponsibility for the start of WWI

• Germany’s colonial possessions Germany’s colonial possessions were taken away, which guaranteed were taken away, which guaranteed their inability to pay their their inability to pay their reparationsreparations

• Though Though RussiaRussia had fought had fought with the Allies and lost more with the Allies and lost more men, they were excluded men, they were excluded from the Peace Conference, from the Peace Conference, and lost more territory than and lost more territory than Germany didGermany did• The treaty ignored the rights The treaty ignored the rights

of colonized peoples for self-of colonized peoples for self-determinationdetermination

OppositionOpposition• Many Many AmericansAmericans opposed opposed

the Treaty, because:the Treaty, because:– It was too harshIt was too harsh

– It was a sell out to imperialism, It was a sell out to imperialism, trading one set of colonial rulers for trading one set of colonial rulers for anotheranother

–Boundaries established did not Boundaries established did not satisfy all of the ethnic groupssatisfy all of the ethnic groups

•The League of Nations The League of Nations sparked debate over:sparked debate over:–Whether it would spoil US Whether it would spoil US

policy of policy of isolationismisolationism–Suspicion over joint economic Suspicion over joint economic

and military action against and military action against aggressionaggression–Right of Right of CongressCongress to declare to declare

war was not includedwar was not included

UncompromisingUncompromising• Wilson refused to Wilson refused to compromisecompromise

about the League of Nationsabout the League of Nations

• On a campaign tour, exclaiming its On a campaign tour, exclaiming its virtues, Wilson suffered a virtues, Wilson suffered a strokestroke

• The League of Nations was passed The League of Nations was passed through Congress twice, and both through Congress twice, and both times failed to gain enough votes times failed to gain enough votes for for ratificationratification

Legacy of the WarLegacy of the War• Warren G. HardingWarren G. Harding, the new , the new

American President, tried to American President, tried to soothe the American people soothe the American people by advocating a return to by advocating a return to ““normalcynormalcy””

• However, the world had been However, the world had been too transformed by wartoo transformed by war

War had changed things in the War had changed things in the US, including:US, including:- strengthened the military and - strengthened the military and the governmentthe government- accelerated changes socially, - accelerated changes socially, especially for especially for blacks and blacks and womenwomen- propaganda had provoked fear - propaganda had provoked fear and antagonism that had no and antagonism that had no other outletother outlet

War had changed things in War had changed things in Europe, including:Europe, including:

- destruction caused severely - destruction caused severely damaged social and political damaged social and political systemssystems

- war created political instability - war created political instability and violenceand violence

- - communismcommunism and and fascismfascism started to risestarted to rise

•Why did the Treaty of Why did the Treaty of Versailles actually Versailles actually help to lead to the help to lead to the second world war?second world war?