The Fourteen Points: Wilson's Vision for Peace and the Treaty of Versailles

1. End of the War • The Fourteen Points for Peace • The Treaty of Versailles • A Return to “Normalcy”

2. Wilson’s 14 Points

3. Wilson’s 14 Points • Abolish “Secret” Treaties

4. Wilson’s 14 Points • Abolish “Secret” Treaties • Freedom of the Seas

5. Wilson’s 14 Points • Abolish “Secret” Treaties • Freedom of the Seas • Removal of Economic Barriers between nations

6. Wilson’s 14 Points • Abolish “Secret” Treaties • Freedom of the Seas • Removal of Economic Barriers between nations • Reduction of Armaments

7. Wilson’s 14 Points Group 1 • Abolish “Secret” Treaties • Freedom of the Seas • Removal of Economic Barriers between nations • Reduction of Armaments • Impartial Adjustment of colonial claims

8. Next 8 dealt with boundary changes. (Group 2) • 6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to develop her own political set-up. • 7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.

9. 8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine. • 9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy’s borders are to “along clearly recognizable lines of nationality.” • 10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary.

10. 11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for the Balkan states. • 12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves. • 13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea

11. Wilson’s 14th Point (Group 3) • 14. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. • Summary of what this means: A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.

12. Wilson’s 14 Points • Abolish “Secret” Treaties • Freedom of the Seas • Removal of Economic Barriers between nations • Reduction of Armaments • Impartial Adjustment of colonial claims • League of Nations

13. Wilson at Versailles

14. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles

15. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles • Isolationists were afraid of entangling alliances

16. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles • Isolationists were afraid of entangling alliances • Right Wingers thought the Germans got off to easy

17. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles • Isolationists were afraid of entangling alliances • Right Wingers thought the Germans got off to easy • Liberals claimed the peace was too harsh

18. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles • Isolationists were afraid of entangling alliances • Right Wingers thought the Germans got off to easy • Liberals claimed the peace was too harsh • German-Americans thought Germany got screwed

19. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles • Isolationists were afraid of entangling alliances • Right Wingers thought the Germans got off to easy • Liberals claimed the peace was too harsh • German-Americans thought Germany got screwed • Irish-Americans thought the British got too much

20. Who was excluded from the negotiations: • Russia • Germany

21. What are reparations? • Reparations are payments or other compensations made to a group of people who have been wronged or injured.

22. League of Nations • A world organization established in 1920 to promote international cooperation and peace. It was first proposed in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson, although the United States never joined the League. Essentially powerless, it was officially dissolved in 1946.

23. War Guilt Clause • Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) is commonly known as the "guilt clause" or the "war guilt clause", in which Germany was forced to take complete responsibility for starting World War I. the United kingdom and France played the primary role in the article, while the United States played a lesser role, mostly due to president Woodrow Wilson's principle of "peace without victory"

24. The bill was tallied in April 1921, when the commission determined that damages caused by Germany amounted to $33 billion or 133 billion gold marks. Payments were to be made in cash or by such in-kind commodities as steel and coal. Representatives of the German government were extremely reluctant to shoulder this crushing debt and did so only under the full weight of international pressure.

27. Wilson’s Response I can predict with absolute certainty that within another generation there will be another world war if the nations of the world do not concert the method by which to prevent it.

28. U.S. Refusal to Sign Treaty of Versailles • Supported by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge • Fearful of drawing the U.S. into another war • Isolationists refused to support the treaty

29. Warren G. Harding and a “Return to Normalcy”