The Treaty of Versailles

June 1919

The Big Four

Woodrow Wilson USA

David Lloyd-George Great Britain

Georges Clemenceau France Vittorio Orlando Italy

The Big Four at Versailles in 1919

What did France want from the treaty?

Security

Revenge

Reparations

Clemenceau : The Tiger

David Lloyd-George

In public Lloyd-George said he wanted to punish the Germans. The British public was very anti-German at the end of the war.

In private he realized that Britain needed Germany to recover because she was an important trading partner.

What did Britain Want?

Woodrow Wilson

What did America Want?

Woodrow Wilson wanted the treaty to be based on his Fourteen Points

He believed Germany should be punished but not severely. He wanted a just settlement that would not leave Germany feeling resentful

Wilson Presents His PlanWilson Presents His Plan Fourteen Points-Plan for Fourteen Points-Plan for

World PeaceWorld Peace Fourteen Points speech given Fourteen Points speech given

before Congress, points before Congress, points divided into three groupsdivided into three groups

First 5 points Wilson believed First 5 points Wilson believed had to be addressed to had to be addressed to prevent another warprevent another war

14 POINTS14 POINTS1.1. There should be no secret treaties There should be no secret treaties

among nations.among nations.2.2. Freedom of the seas should be Freedom of the seas should be

maintained for all.maintained for all.3.3. Tariffs and other economic barriers Tariffs and other economic barriers

among nations should be lowered or among nations should be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade.abolished in order to foster free trade.

4.4. Arms should be reduced “to the lowest Arms should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety, point consistent with domestic safety, thus lessening the possibility of military thus lessening the possibility of military responses during diplomatic crisesresponses during diplomatic crises

5.5. Colonial policies should consider the Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial peoples as well interests of the colonial peoples as well as the interests of the imperialistic as the interests of the imperialistic powerspowers

14-points continued14-points continued 6-13 dealt with boundary 6-13 dealt with boundary

changeschanges 1414thth point called for a creation of point called for a creation of

and international organization and international organization to address the diplomatic crises to address the diplomatic crises like those that had sparked the like those that had sparked the warwar

League of Nations-League of Nations- provide a provide a forum for nations to discuss and forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without settle their grievances without warwar

The Allies Reject Wilson’s The Allies Reject Wilson’s PlanPlan

Peace Conference did not include Peace Conference did not include Central Powers or RussiaCentral Powers or Russia

Treaty of Versailles-created new Treaty of Versailles-created new nations, shifted boundaries, and nations, shifted boundaries, and barred Germany from maintaining barred Germany from maintaining an Armyan Army

Germany made to pay Germany made to pay reparationsreparations--pay war damages amounting to 33 pay war damages amounting to 33 billion billion

Treaty’s WeaknessesTreaty’s Weaknesses Flaws in the treaty sowed the seeds Flaws in the treaty sowed the seeds

of postwar international problems of postwar international problems that eventually lead to WWIIthat eventually lead to WWII

Treaty humiliated GermanyTreaty humiliated Germany War-Guilt ClauseWar-Guilt Clause-forced Germany to -forced Germany to

admit sole responsibility for starting admit sole responsibility for starting WWIWWI

No way Germany could pay the billNo way Germany could pay the bill Russia was excluded from the peace Russia was excluded from the peace

conference and lost more territory conference and lost more territory than Germany (Russia had the most than Germany (Russia had the most causalities in war and fought for 3 causalities in war and fought for 3 years) years)

Debate of the TreatyDebate of the Treaty Some believed treaty was too Some believed treaty was too

harshharsh A few felt that the League of A few felt that the League of

Nations threatened US Nations threatened US isolationism and the constitutional isolationism and the constitutional right of Congress to declare warright of Congress to declare war

Wilson set out in the US and spoke Wilson set out in the US and spoke about the League of Nationsabout the League of Nations

Became ill on October 2, 1919 and Became ill on October 2, 1919 and suffered a strokesuffered a stroke

US Senate rejected the League of US Senate rejected the League of Nations and signed a separate Nations and signed a separate treaty w/ Germany in 1921treaty w/ Germany in 1921

THE LEGACY OF THE WARTHE LEGACY OF THE WAR Many Americans looked forward to Many Americans looked forward to

return to “normalcy”return to “normalcy” World War I had many changes in the World War I had many changes in the

U.S.U.S. Strengthened militaryStrengthened military Social change for African Americans Social change for African Americans

and Womenand Women Called WWI “the war to end all wars”Called WWI “the war to end all wars” Treaty of Versailles settled nothingTreaty of Versailles settled nothing Adolf Hitler emerged as an angry WWI Adolf Hitler emerged as an angry WWI

vet and rose to power in Germanyvet and rose to power in Germany

100,000 De-militarised

The Military Clauses

Territorial Losses

Germany lost ALL of her overseas colonies

Alsace-Lorraine was given to France

Posen was given to Poland so that she would have access to the Baltic Sea. This area became known as the Polish Corridor. It meant that East Prussia was cut off from the rest of Germany.

The Rhineland was to be de-militarized

The Saar coalfields were given to France for fifteen years

The port of Danzig was made a Free City under the control of the League of Nations

"The Allied and Associated Governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her Allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associate Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of a war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her Allies."

Article 231

The War Guilt Clause

GERMANY ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR STARTING THE WAR

REPARATIONS

Germany agreed to pay for the damage caused by her armies during the war. The sum she had to pay was later fixed at £6,600 million

Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria

How did Germans React to the Treaty?

Germans thought the Treaty was a “diktat” : a dictated peace. They had not been invited to the peace conference at Versailles and when the Treaty was presented to them they were threatened with war if they did not sign it.

The Treaty was NOT based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points as the Germans had been promised it would.

Most Germans believed that the War Guilt Clause was unjustified. The French and British had done just as much to start the war

The loss of territory and population angered most Germans who believed that the losses were too severe.

Many Germans believed the German economy would be crippled by having to pay reparations.

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919. It officially ended the 1st World War. Many historians

believe that it was a major cause of the 2nd World War.Most Germans were horrified by the harshness of the

Treaty. There was anger amongst all groups in Germany, no matter what their political beliefs. Some German newspapers called for revenge for the humiliation of

Versailles.However anger was also directed against the government

in Germany. Already there was a myth growing in the country that the German army had been “stabbed in the

back” by politicians…the so called “November Criminals”. Now these same politicians had signed the “Diktat”, the dictated peace. The new democracy in Germany was now

closely linked with the humiliation of Versailles.