 USA President Woodrow Wilson proposes a plan for peace through his Fourteen Points.  First given as a speech by Wilson to a joint session of Congress (government) on January 8, 1918.

 In Wilson’s Fourteen Points he suggests: › Governments and the way they deal with each other should change (i.e. no more secret treaties, free trade, reduce armaments).

› Germany should return conquered lands and move out of occupied territory. › The concept of National Self- Determination (choose which country you want to be a part of or rule yourself) should be applied to Poland, Austria, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania.

 The Allied victors (“The Big Three”) came together to decide the terms of peace at The Paris Peace Conference which took place at the Palace of Versailles in France on June 28, 1919.

 The Big Three: › US President Woodrow Wilson › French President George Clemenceau › British PM David Lloyd George.  The Plus One = “The Big Four”: › Italian PM Vittorio Orlando

 Canada asked for her own seat (separate from Great Britain) at the Paris Peace Conference.  Canada also insisted (PM Borden)that she sign the Treaty of Versailles (the treaty the dealt with Germany) separately from Britain because she saw herself as independent/separate nation – as Canada, as Canadians.

 The Big Four did not consult with any of the defeated countries.  Germany and Austria-Hungary were not present = Germany blamed for the War.  Russia was not there either = the Big Three did not recognize their communist government.

 The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was the treaty that dealt with Germany.  Treaty Provisions (what Germany had to provide/do/accept): › Germany had to pay reparations to the Allied Powers ($6.6 B British pounds).

› Germany l ost the territory gained/invaded during the war. › Germany was not permitted to have a armaments (destroyed) and was to disband and make their air force, navy, and army smaller = no military.

› Germany was blamed completely for WWI and was forced to agree with the War Guilt Clause (Article 231).

 The people of Germany lost faith in their country : › They were angry/resentful/bitter with being solely blamed for the start of WWI. › Losing their navy meant they could not trade with other countries thus could not pay reparations.

› Losing their industries (iron/coal) from territorial loses meant that they could not build trucks and railways or rebuild factories to help get their economy going.

› The Weimar Republic (Germany’s new democratic government as of 1919) was seen as useless/not helping the people and this permitted Hitler to come to power in the 1930s and start WWII.

 Versailles was only one of five treaties signed during  The treaties that dealt with the now split Austria-Hungary included:

 The Treaty of Saint Germaine dealt with Austria.  The Treaty of Trianon dealt with Hungary.  The Treaty of Neuilly dealt with Bulgaria.  The Treaty of Sevres dealt with Turkey.

 All defeated powers had to accept loss of territory and all agreed to pay some reparations.

 The League of Nations (LON ) was an international organization established at the Paris Peace Conference (1919) at the end of WWI.  It was founded on the principles of collective security and preservation of peace through arbitration of international disputes.

 American President Woodrow Wilson had taken an important part in founding the League, but the US never joined = a major weakness of the LON.  Sixty-three states were eventually members.

 With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  The LON (began in 1919) it lasted until the founding of its successor, the UNITED NATIONS, in 1945.

 LON = Canada and other dominions given their own seats.  Canada was a member throughout the League's existence, and served from on the council.

 Members were required to respect and preserve each other's territory and independence = collective security.  Aggression against any member would be considered aggression against all, and would lead to collective economic, and possibly military, measures = collective security.

 The purpose of collective security was to avert war, and in the 1920s the League participated in the attempted reconciliation of Germany with France and Great Britain.

 Proved incapable of effective action in the face of territorial aggression in the 1930s by Japan, Italy, and Germany. › Japan = Manchurian Crisis, 1931 › Italy = Abyssinian Crisis, 1934 › Germany = Rearmament, Anschluss with Austria, Invasion of Czechoslovakia + Poland,

 The League did not have a military so all it could do in the face of aggression via aggressor nations was apply economic sanctions.  The League ceased to function as a collective security organization, although its social and economic activities continued until WWII.