The Aftermath

Steps Toward Peace The “war to end all wars” had lasted four long years, and it was now time for peace The leaders of the victorious nations gathered at the palace in Versailles, outside Paris, to negotiate the terms

Wilson’s Plan Wilson arrived in France with an idealistic vision for peace, including the establishment of a League of Nations

- Wilson was praised just about everywhere he went, until he arrived at Versailles - The allied leaders held too much resentment towards Germany to agree to Wilson’s idealistic peace proposal, his “Fourteen Points”, which Wilson had presented to Congress before the end of the war

Fourteen Points The first five points were necessary to prevent another war: 1. No secret treaties among nations 2. Freedom of the seas maintained for all 3. Tariffs and economic barriers should be abolished to promote free trade 4. Arms should be reduced to the lowest safe point 5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of colonial peoples as well as interests of imperialist powers

8 Points The next eight points dealt with boundary changes, trying to follow historically established boundary lines based on nationality and self- determination

League of Nations Wilson’s 14th and final point called for the creation of a national organization to deal with diplomatic crises, a “League of Nations” – a forum for nations to discuss grievances without having to resort to war

League of Nations Wilson ended up conceding on most of his Fourteen Points in return for the establishment of the League of Nations

The peace conference at Versailles did not include: The Participants The peace conference at Versailles did not include: The defeated Central Powers Russia Smaller Allied Nations

The Participants It did include: Georges Clemenceau, the French Premier, who had already lived through two German invasions of France David Lloyd George, British prime minister who was voted into office on the slogan “Make Germany Pay” Vittorio Orlando, Italian prime minister, who wanted control of Austrian territory as per their agreement during the war, which had flipped Italy to the Allied side Woodrow Wilson – President of the United States

What the Treaty did: Established 9 new nations from the defeated nations, including Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland Shifted the boundaries of other nations Gave 5 areas of the Ottoman Empire to France and Britain as mandates, temporary colonies

It also barred Germany from maintaining an army It also required Germany to give Alsace- Lorraine back to France It also required Germany to pay reparations, or war damages, of $33 billion to the Allies

Treaty Weaknesses Humiliation of Germany, including forcing them to sign a war- guilt clause, admission of sole responsibility for the start of WWI Germany’s colonial possessions were taken away, which guaranteed their inability to pay their reparations

Though Russia had fought with the Allies and lost more men, they were excluded from the Peace Conference, and lost more territory than Germany did The treaty ignored the rights of colonized peoples for self- determination

Many Americans opposed the Treaty, because: Opposition Many Americans opposed the Treaty, because: It was too harsh It was a sell out to imperialism, trading one set of colonial rulers for another Boundaries established did not satisfy all of the ethnic groups

The League of Nations sparked debate over: Whether it would spoil US policy of isolationism Suspicion over joint economic and military action against aggression Right of Congress to declare war was not included

Uncompromising Wilson refused to compromise about the League of Nations On a campaign tour, exclaiming its virtues, Wilson suffered a stroke The League of Nations was passed through Congress twice, and both times failed to gain enough votes for ratification

Legacy of the War Warren G Harding, the new American President, tried to soothe the American people by advocating a return to “normalcy” However, the world had been too transformed by war What things had changed that would never change back?

War had changed things in the US, including: - strengthened the military and the government - accelerated changes socially, especially for blacks and women - propaganda had provoked fear and antagonism that had no other outlet

War had changed things in Europe, including: - destruction caused severely damaged social and political systems - war created political instability and violence - communism and fascism started to rise