WWI - Peacemaking

The war officially ended on November 11 th 1918

The Germans asked for a ceasefire – A Germany signed the Treaty of V This was a D – the terms were forced onto Germany, as they were not involved in deciding the terms. The main terms involved: –Changes to what land Germany owned –Reductions in the size of the military –Admitting war guilt and repairing damage done Armistice Versailles Diktat

Germany had to pay £6,600 million to put right damage done during the war Territorial changes Germans had to admit they started the war Land was given to France – Germany’s enemy Germany could not have an airforce Try to match the terms of the Treaty with some of the outcomes of these terms Military restrictions War guilt and reparations

The Big Three The terms of the treaty were decided at the Paris Peace Conference. Click on the men below to find out what their role was

Why did Germany object to the Treaty ? Germany felt the treaty was unfair because: –It was not based on the 14 points –They did feel they had started the war –It was a diktat Germany was horrified by the terms of the treaty because: –Paying back money for damages made Germany one of Europe’s poorest countries –Germany lost 10% of her land and all colonies

No - It secured peace for 20 years No, it punished the Germans for the terrible loss of life - but the harsh terms may have helped cause WWII – but were they the only ones responsible for the start of war? Was the Treaty a failure? Yes – It failed to prevent another war breaking out. Yes - It was a compromise, so nobody was totally happy with the outcome

Vittorio Orlando Linked to the big three was the leader of Italy. His main aim was to get extra land for Italy. But he was frequently left out of important negotiations. Back to photo

David Lloyd George He was Prime Minister of Great Britain. He said he would ‘make Germany pay’ – because he knew that was what the British people wanted to hear. But his personal view was that he wanted ‘justice’, but he did not want revenge. He said that the peace must not be harsh – that would just cause another war in a few years time. He tried to get a ‘halfway point’ – a compromise between Wilson and Clemenceau. He also wanted to increase the British empire. Back to photo

Woodrow Wilson He was President of America. He wanted to make the world safe. He wanted to end war by making a fair peace. He said at the peace conference in 1919: ‘ we have assembled here for two purposes – to make peace settlements, and also secure the future peace of the world’ He wrote about what the world should be like in his ‘Fourteen points’ Back to photo Find out about the 14 points

Georges Clemenceau The Prime Minister of France. He wanted revenge, and to punish the Germans for what they had done. He wanted to make Germany pay for the damage done during the war, wanted to weaken Germany, so France would never be invaded again. He summed up his attitude with the quote ‘There are 20 million Germans too many’ Back to photo

No secret treaties No secret treaties Free access to the seas in wartime or peacetime Free trade between countries Colonies to have their own say on the future German troops to leave Russia Self-determination for the people of eastern Europe (they should rule themselves) League of Nations to be set up to fairly settle any future disputes The main points related to: No secret treaties No secret treaties Free access to the seas in wartime or peacetime Free trade between countries Colonies to have their own say on the future German troops to leave Russia Self-determination for the people of eastern Europe (they should rule themselves) League of Nations to be set up to fairly settle any future disputes The main points related to: Wilson’s Fourteen Points The main points related to: No secret treaties Free access to the seas in wartime or peacetime Free trade between countries Colonies to have their own say on the future German troops to leave Russia Self-determination for the people of eastern Europe (they should rule themselves) League of Nations to be set up to fairly settle any future disputes By the time the treaty was signed many of these points had been ignored. Back to photo