end of wwi germany’s surrender and treaty of versailles
TRANSCRIPT
End of WWIGermany’s surrender and Treaty of
Versailles
Discussion1. List 3 reasons America declared war on Germany in 1917.2. How did Britain and Germany use their navies during WWI?3. Why did Russia withdrawal from WWI?4. WWI created an increasing desire for independence in many
countries; including Russia, Turkey, the Baltic states, Canada (still a commonwealth), etc. Why do you think this is? How could a war create an aspiration for freedom?
5. Towards the end of WWI, the Allied powers begin to discuss plans for post-war Europe. Based on what you know about Wilson’s personal views, what do you think he wants for Europe post-war?
German Advances (1915 & 1916)
SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP!http://www.worldology.com/Europe/world_war_1_imap.htm
Key Events of 1915 & 1916: Russian retreat Allies invade Ottoman Empire Armenian Genocide Italy joins Allies Stalemate on Western Front
SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP! Key Events of 1917: Germany occupies countries in East US joins the war Russia begins to demobilize & negotiate end of war Revolts and Allied advances continue in Ottoman
Empire Allied victories in the Balkans
What happened to Russia?
Military starts to fail as soldiers stop fighting and join the revolution
Russia cannot defend against German invasions
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: March 3, 1918; Russia makes peace with Central Powers; loses territory of Poland, Finland, and Baltic states.
Effects: Economic downturn and worsening relations with Allied powers….. Why?
“The so-called Great Powers have long been exploiting and enslaving a whole number of small and weak nations. And the imperialist war is a war for the division and redivision of this kind of wealth.” - 1917
Opposition to Treaty Lenin was in favor of signing
the peace proposal immediately, even though the treaty took away territory that included 25% of the empire’s population, 25% of its industry and 90% of its coal mines
A majority of the Bolshevik Central Committee believed that Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire & Bulgaria were all on the verge of a revolution within their borders, so they should continue the war and wait for the spread of revolution.
Signing of the Treaty; representatives of the Central Powers on the left
(Germany, A-H, OE, Bulgaria) and representatives of the Russian
Bolsheviks on the right.
Opposition to the Treaty
Even though they lost territory and some Bolsheviks opposed it, why do you think Lenin agreed to it?
A quick peace was better than a continued war.
Towards the End of War British blockade was
starving Germany British began using tanks American convoy system
shut down U-boat attacks Both sides fearful of
revolutions in Europe Allied powers launch huge
offensive on August 8, 1918
American troops continued to advance, not giving Germans time to regroup
U.S. Convoy System
A convoy is a group of vehicles (usually motor vehicles or ships) traveling together for mutual support and protection.
Ending the War The Central Powers
began to collapse under constant Allied attacks.
Germany’s allies, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire made peace with the Allied Powers.
Separate states began declaring their independence from Austria-Hungary.
End of WWI Germany surrenders - November 11, 1918
Germany’s leader steps down and establishes a provisional government
SHOW INTERACTIVE MAP! Include effects of war and death tolls
End of WWI
CountriesTotal Mobilized
Killed & Died
WoundedPrisoners & Missing
Total Casualties
Casualties % Mobilized
Germany 11,000,000 1,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558 64.9
Austria-Hungary
7,800,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000 7,020,000 90.0
Turkey 2,850,000 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34.2
Bulgaria 1,200,000 87,500 152,390 27,029 266,919 22.2
Total 22,850,000 3,386,200 8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477 67.4
Grand Total 65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686 57.6
CountriesTotal
Mobilized Killed & Died Wounded
Prisoners & Missing
Total Casualties
Casualties % Mobilized
Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000 76.3
France 8,410,000 1,357,800 4,266,000 537,000 6,160,800 76.3British Empire
8,904,467 908,371 2,090,212 191,652 3,190,235 35.8
Italy 5,615,000 650,000 947,000 600,000 2,197,000 39.1United States
4,355,000 126,000 234,300 4,500 364,800 8.2
Serbia 707,343 45,000 133,148 152,958 331,106 46.8Belgium 267,000 13,716 44,686 34,659 93,061 34.9
Total 42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209 52.3
Austro-Hungarians execute Serbians
Ypres, Belgium
French soldiers being gassed
Were you paying attention?
List five events that led to Germany’s surrender.
President Wilson strives for Peace Fourteen Points: plan for
post-war European Peace. Called for an end to alliances
League of Nations: worldwide organization aimed at ensuring security and peace for all its members.
Wilson and the American peace commissioners
The Treaty of VersaillesThe establishment of a permanent peace………. Or so they thought
Paris Peace Conference Paris Peace Conference: January
1919; 27 nations Having been defeated,
Germany, Austria & Hungary were excluded
Russia formed their own peace with the Central Powers
Until March 1919, controlled by “Council of Ten:” leaders & foreign ministers from England, France, US, Italy & Japan
Most of Japan’s & Italy’s ideas were rejected, which left the “Big Three” to solidify agreements
The Big ThreeWoodrow Wilson
(US)
David Lloyd-George (Great
Britain)
Georges Clemenceau
(France)
The Big “Four” at Versailles in 1919
Discussion Make a prediction What do the
Allied countries want out of the Treaty?
Do you think all countries should have been included, even if they were on the losing side?
What did France Want? Security Revenge Reparations
Germany should pay for the damage caused by invasion!
Clemenceau wanted to make sure that Germany could not invade France in the future.
What did Britain Want? Publically, Lloyd-George
said he wanted to punish the Germans. The British public was very anti-German at the end of the war.
Privately, he realized that Britain needed Germany to recover because she was an important trading partner.
He was also worried about the “disease from the east”…….., communism. Lloyd-George believed that the spread of communism had to be stopped. A strong Germany would be a barrier against it.
What did America want? Wilson wanted the treaty to be
based on his 14 Points. He believed Germany should
be punished, but not severely. He wanted a fair settlement that would not leave Germany feeling resentful
Focus on future security The American public &
government did not support him. They were fed up with involvement in European affairs (leads to a period of isolationism)
Treaty of Versailles On June 28, 1919 the Allied leaders signed the Treaty
of Versailles. Made up of 440 articles (15 sections) Section I; Articles 1-26: Established the League of
Nations The remaining 414 articles were dedicated to punishing
Germany
"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."
The War Guilt Clause: Article 231
GERMANY ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
STARTING THE WAR
Terms of the Treaty of Versailles Legal restrictions
former German Emperor, Wilhelm II, is to be tried with war crimes
Establishment of Provisional Government
Reparations (payment for damages) - later fixed at 132 billion marks (~ $442 billion in 2013)
Territory restrictions Loss of debated territories created nine new countries out of
the former Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian territories.
Military Restrictions Army reduced to 100,000 men Prohibited to have tanks or poison gas. No air force The German navy was to have no submarines or large
battle-ships Import & export of weapons is prohibited Manufacturing of rifles & machine guns was limited The area known as the Rhineland was to be de-
militarized. The Allies were to occupy the debated territories for
fifteen years.
Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria
Military Restrictions
Territory Restrictions
Territory Restrictions
Territory Restrictions
Germany lost all of her overseas colonies
Make a prediction….. How do you think German citizens
responded to the Treaty? 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 felt this would cripple the economy How do you think Americans responded to
the Treaty?
German Response
German protests outside the Reichstag
American Response Wilson believed all
nations should cooperate to achieve world peace
Afraid if Germany was punished too harshly, they may retaliate
Wilson’s plans for peace were rejected by Congress
American Response
Wilson’s personal advisor: Colonel Edward House said the following,
“I am leaving Paris, after eight fateful months, with conflicting emotions. Looking at the conference in retrospect, there is much to approve and yet much to regret. It is easy to say what should have been done, but more difficult to have found a way of doing it. To those who are saying that the treaty is bad and should never have been made and that it will involve Europe in infinite difficulties in its enforcement, I feel like admitting it. To create new boundaries is to create new troubles. The one follows the other. While I should have preferred a different peace, I doubt very much whether it could have been made, for the ingredients required for such a peace as I would have were lacking at Paris”
Why did the U.S. reject Wilson’s plans for peace??? At the peace conference in Versailles, the leaders did not accept
many of his 14 points--especially France. Wilson was more concerned with preventing future conflicts and establishing lasting peace, France (and to a lesser extant, Britain) wanted to punish Germany.
Wilson realized he would have to compromise, so he prioritized the creation of the League of Nations, which they agreed on.
Then, when Wilson came back to the US to try to get the Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, and join the League of Nations, he faced a lot of opposition from Republican senators.
Some, the Reservationists just opposed Article X of the League Covenant because they did not want the United States bound to enter wars, and these Reservationists would have passed the Treaty if Article X was amended. Others, called Irreconcilables were simply political opponents of Wilsons, and wouldn't have ever passed the treaty just because they didn't like Wilson.
There wasn't really back and forth with the Democratic congress. The Democrats supported Wilson, the problem was the Republican senators.