The Treaty of Versailles (At the Paris Peace Conference)

1. The Treaty of Versailles (At the Paris Peace Conference) Signed June 28, 1919—EXACTLY 5 years to the day after Franz Ferdinand’s Assassination.

2. The Big Four (Of the Paris Peace Conference) Woodrow Wilson USA David Lloyd-George Great Britain Georges Clemenceau France Vittorio Orlando Italy

3. The Big Four at Versailles in 1919

4. What did France want from the treaty? Security Revenge Reparations 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

5. What did Britain Want? In public Lloyd-George said he wanted to punish the Germans. The British public was very anti-German at the end of the war. In private he realised 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 1917. Lloyd-George believed that the spread of communism had to be stopped. A strong Germany would be a barrier against it. David Lloyd-George

6. What did America Want? Woodrow Wilson wanted the treaty to be based on his Fourteen Points He believed Germany should be punished but not severely. He 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 Woodrow Wilson The American public did not support him. They were fed up with involvement in European affairs. The USA became more isolationist.

7. Germany--the Biggest Loser…

8. Germany’s Losses… • B. R. A. T. • B LAME • R EPARATIONS • A RMY • T ERRITORY (LOSSES)

9. Blame--The War Guilt Clause "The Allied and Associated Governments affirm, and Germany accepts, theresponsibility 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 GERMANY HAS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR STARTING THE WAR

10. REPARATIONS Germany had to agree to pay for the damage caused by her armies during the war. The sum she had to pay was later fixed at £6,600 million

11. Army--reductions The German army was to be reduced to 100,000 men. It was not allowed to have tanks. Germany was not allowed an airforce The area known as the Rhineland was to be de-militarised The Allies were to occupy the west bank of the Rhine for fifteen years The German navy was to have no submarines or large battle-ships

12. Territorial Losses Germany lost ALL of her overseas colonies Alsace-Lorraine was given to France

13. The Saar coalfields were given to France for fifteen years The port of Danzig was made a Free City under the control of the League of Nations

14. Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria

15. How did Germans React to the Treaty? Germans were NOT happy. They had not been invited to the peace conference at Versailles. They had no choice but to 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 wasunjustified. 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.

16. The League of Nations—a way to prevent all future wars?

17. The League of Nations Encourage co-operation Stop aggression GOALS Improve social conditions Disarmament

18. Membership • 42 members - by 1930’s 59 • Defeated countries could not join e.g. Germany • Russia excluded because communist • USA did not join - isolation from world affairs

19. Structure The Assembly Each country one vote Permanent court of International Justice Based at The Hague Settle disputes peacefully No power of enforcement The Council Met several times a year and in emergencies 5 permanent members Each had right to veto any idea

20. Powers of the League If a country ignored the ruling of the League it could: • Put pressure on • Refuse to trade - sanctions • Send in troops - member countries join together

21. Strengths of the League Successful at first • Settled some land disputes in 1920’s • helped refugees, dealt with spread of disease, fought for better conditions for people

22. Weaknesses of League • USA didn’t join • No real power - relied on goodwill and persuasion • No permanent army • Disarmament not realistic • Difficult to get countries to agree.

23. End of the War ---Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919. ---officially ended WWI and established the League of Nations How did Germans respond? ---Most were horrified by the harshness of the Treaty. ---Some German newspapers called for revenge. What was the impact of WWI?

24. Economic • WWI devastated European economies, giving the U.S. the economic lead. • The U.S. still faced problems such as inflation, which left people struggling to afford ordinary items. • Farmers, whose goods were less in demand than during the war, were hit hard. • Political • The war led to the overthrow of monarchies in Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Turkey. • It contributed to the rise of the Bolsheviks to power in Russia in 1917. • It fanned the flames of revolts against colonialism in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. • Social • The war killed 14 million people and left 7 million men disabled. • The war drew more than a million women into the U.S. workforce, which helped them pass the Nineteenth Amendment to get the vote. • It also encouraged African Americans to move to northern cities for factory work. The Impact of World War I

25. Impact in Europe • The effects of World War I in Europe were devastating. • European nations lost almost an entire generation of young men. • France, where most of the fighting took place, was in ruins. • Great Britain was deeply in debt to the U.S. and lost its place as the world’s financial center. • The reparations forced on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles were crippling to its economy. • World War I would not be the “war to end all wars,” as some called it. • Too many issues were left unresolved. • Too much anger and hostility remained among nations. • Within a generation, conflict would again break out in Europe, bringing the United States and the world back into war.