A Flawed Peace
Palace at Versailles January 18, 1919 32 countries met to negotiate the terms of peace
Big Four Meetings major decisions were hammered out by a group of countries known as the BIG FOUR United States- Woodrow Wilson France- Georges Clemenceau Great Britain- David Lloyd George Italy- Vittorio Orlando
Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points Series of peace proposals that outlined a plan for achieving lasting peaceSeries of peace proposals that outlined a plan for achieving lasting peace Self-determination Allowing people to decide for themselves under what government they wished to liveAllowing people to decide for themselves under what government they wished to live
Fourteen Points First 4 points Ending secret treaties, freedom of seas, free trade, and reduced national armies and naviesEnding secret treaties, freedom of seas, free trade, and reduced national armies and navies 5 th point Adjustment of colonial claims with fairness to colonial peopleAdjustment of colonial claims with fairness to colonial people 6 th through 13 th points Specific suggestions for changing borders and creating new nationsSpecific suggestions for changing borders and creating new nations 14 th point Proposed a general association of nations- League of NationsProposed a general association of nations- League of Nations
Paris Peace Conference Britain and France showed little sign of agreeing to Wilson’s vision of peace Both were concerned with national security and wanted to strip Germany of its war-making power Treaty of Versailles- peace treaty signed by Germany and the Allied Powers after WWI June 28, 1919June 28, 1919
Provisions of Treaty Created a League of Nations International association to keep peaceInternational association to keep peace Punished Germany Restrictions placed on militaryRestrictions placed on military Lost substantial territoryLost substantial territory War guilt clause Pay reparations of $33 billion to AlliesPay reparations of $33 billion to Allies Colonial Territories Allies would govern colonies until they were ready for independenceAllies would govern colonies until they were ready for independence
Troubled Treaty Signed separate peace treaties with other defeated nations Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary BulgariaBulgaria Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire Treaties led to huge land losses for the Central Powers
Austria-Hungary Split into 4 nations AustriaAustria HungaryHungary CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Ottoman Empire Forced to give up almost all of former empire They retained only present day area of Turkey Allies carved up Southwest Asia Britain ControlBritain Control Palestine Iraq Transjordan FranceFrance Syria Lebanon
Russia Suffered land losses as well Romania and Poland both gained Russian territoryRomania and Poland both gained Russian territory Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania became independent statesFinland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania became independent states
Poor Treaty Untied States rejected the treaty U.S. believed best scenario for peace was to stay out of European affairs
Major Provisions League of Nations Territorial Losses Military Restrictions War Guilt International peace organization; enemy and neutral nations initially excluded Germany and Russia excluded Germany returns Alsace-Lorraine to France, French border extended to west bank of Rhine River Germany surrenders all of its overseas colonies in Africa and the Pacific Limits set on the size of the German army Germany prohibited from importing or manufacturing weapons or war material Germany forbidden to build or buy submarines or have an airforce Sole responsibility for the war placed on Germany’s shoulders Germany forced to pay Allies $33 billion in reparations over 30 years
Legacy of Treaty Left bitterness and hatred in the hearts of German people Asian and African colonies were upset Japan and Italy were upset because they had gained less territory than they had hoped for
Legacy of Bitterness Would eventually lead to another catastrophic war