A Flawed Peace Chapter 13 Section 4

Main Idea After winning the war, the Allies dictated a harsh peace settlement that left many nations feeling betrayed. Hard feelings left by the peace settlement helped cause World War II.

Introduction World War I was over. Terms of peace had not yet been worked out. Delegates met at the Paris Peace Conference to discuss peace treaties. The Allied powers struggled to solve their conflicting aims in various peace treaties.

The Allies Meet and Debate The Big Four hammered out the major decisions of the Paris Peace Conference. Woodrow Wilson (US) Georges Clemenceau (France) David Lloyd George (Great Britain) Vittorio Orlando (Italy) Russia and Germany were not represented. George, Orlando, Clemenceau and Wilson

Wilson’s Plan for Peace Before the war ended, Wilson drew up a series of peace proposals. Known as the Fourteen Points Outlined a plan for achieving a just and lasting peace. First four points – end to secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, and reduced national armies and navies. 5th goal – adjusted colonial claims with a fairness to the native people.

Self-determination 6th – 13th points – specific suggestions for changing borders and creating new nations. The guiding idea behind these points was self-determination. Allowing people to decide for themselves under what government they wished to live. 14th point – proposed a “general association of nations” that would protect all states. Peacefully negotiate world conflicts.

The Versailles Treaty Britain and France didn’t want to agree to Wilson’s vision of peace. They wanted to make sure that Germany was stripped of its war- making power. The compromise – The Treaty of Versailles. Signed between Germany and the Allies on June 28,1919 Created a League of Nations. An international association whose goal would be to keep peace among nations.

Versailles Treaty (cont.) Also punished Germany. Lost substantial territory. Severe restrictions on military operations. “War Guilt” clause – placed sole responsibility for the war on Germany’s shoulders. Pay reparations to Allies. Money paid by a defeated nation to compensate for damage or injury during a war. All of Germany’s territories were managed by the League of Nations.

A Creation of New Nations Western powers signed peace treaties with defeated nations. Led to huge land losses for the Central Powers. New countries created out of the Austro-Hungarian empire: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. Ottomans gave up their entire empire, except present day Turkey. Russia also suffered losses – Romania and Poland were created out of Russian territory. Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became independent from Russia.

“A Peace Built on Quicksand” Treaty of Versailles did little to build a lasting peace. U.S. was considered to be the dominant nation in the world and rejected the treaty. Many Americans objected to the settlement and to the League of Nations. Americans just wanted to stay out of European affairs (isolation).

War Guilt Clause The war guilt clause left a bitterness and hatred in the hearts of German people. Africans and Asians were mad at the way the Allies disregarded their desire for independence. They felt the Europeans only talked about self- determination. European colonialism continued in the two areas.

Allied Powers Were Bitter, Too Japan and Italy both had entered the war to gain territory. Neither gained as much as they wanted. League of Nations was in no place to take action on the complaints because they were not backed by the U.S. Settlements in Versailles were but “a peace built on quicksand”. In more than two decades, the treaties’ legacy of bitterness would help plunge the world into another catastrophic war.

WWII Preview Allies v. Axis Allies– Great Britain, Soviet Union and U.S Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and Japan