END OF WWI: MAKING PEACE

War is Over! Different sides had to come together to

discuss peace agreements Each side wanted different things Different sides met at Versailles, in

France

Palace of Versailles

Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Wilson had developed a fourteen point plan for world peace

Wilson delivered his “Fourteen Points” speech before Congress on January 18, 1918 outlining his plan for peace

5 points discussed ways to prevent another war, 8 points dealt with boundary lines, and the last point called for the creation of the League of Nations

Major Points for a Lasting Peace Wilson had five main points for avoiding a future

war: There should be no secret treaties between

nations Freedom of the seas should be maintained for

all Tariffs should be abolished or lowered to

encourage free trade Weapons should be reduced to the lowest

amount possible Colonial policies should consider the interests

of the colonized people Fourteenth point – “League of Nations” should

be set up as a place where nations could talk about problems in order to avoid war

Allies Reaction France and England were very

angry, wanted to “make Germany pay” French premier, Georges

Clemenceau wanted to prevent future invasions of France

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George wanted to keep France and Germany balanced so that neither became too strong

United States, France, England, and Italy attended the peace conference None of the defeated powers

were invited Russia, which had become

communist was not invited either

Treaty of Versailles Several new nations established by the

treaty Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,

Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia – taken from Russia and Germany

Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan and Syria set up in the Middle East – controlled by Britain

Germany Not allowed to have a large military Had to return Alsace-Lorraine to France Had to pay reparations (war damages) to the

Allies

Weaknesses of the Treaty Harshness on Germany

War-guilt clause made Germany take all the blame

Germany wasn’t able to pay huge financial war reparations

Germany lost all of its colonies, which could have helped pay the war reparations

Russia Not included in the peace conference even

though it had fought on the side of the Allies Lost more territory than Germany did Not happy at all

Colonized people weren’t given independence

Opposition to the Treaty Some believed treaty was too harsh Some didn’t like it because it simply

exchanged one set of colonial rulers for another

Some ethnic groups did not like the new national boundaries that were created

Debate Over the League of Nations

People in the U.S. feared that the League of Nations would threaten U.S. sovereignty

People thought that Congress wouldn’t have the right to declare war anymore; thought they would have to go through the League

Wilson refused to compromise and make amendments to the treaty so it was never ratified Eventually U.S. signed a different treaty with

Germany in 1921

The Legacy of the War Strengthened U.S. military and government

power Europe

Many countries had political and social problems Communism was established in Russia, and Russia

was determined to regain its lost territory Fascism will come to power in Spain, Italy, and soon

Germany Many Europeans wanted to continue fighting

Some felt there were unresolved issues Germany, in particular, wasn’t happy with arrangements Neither was a young Austrian corporal by the name of

Adolf Hitler