End of WWI

Treaty of Versailles

➔ By July 1917, Russian army disintegrated (Lenin’s Bolshevik party came to power---became

Communist)

➔ Germany can now fight one-front war

➔ German Spring Offensive didn’t break Western Front

➔ German gov’t agrees to armistice (cease fire) on Nov 11, 1918

➔ By end of war: ◆ 4.7+million American men served

◆ Lost over 100,000 men (fighting and disease)

The deadly costs of war…

What were the top 5 countries that suffered the most casualties?

Verdun: Cloister of the Hotel de la Princerie

Village of Esnes

Palace of Justice, Senlis

Paris Peace Conference

➔ Dec 4, 1918: Wilson first president to travel

overseas during term...determined to shape

peace!

➔ About 30 nations met in Versailles outside of

Paris BUT the “Big Four” dominated proceedings◆ United Kingdom (Prime Minister David Lloyd

George)◆ Italy (Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando)◆ United States (President Woodrow Wilson)◆ France (Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau)

Palace of Versailles (2006)

Mo and Me in the Hall of Mirrors (Palace of Versailles)

What do you think the goals of the U.S. would be?

What would the goals of the other Allied countries be? (France? Great Britain?)

Wilson’s 14 Points

❏ Wilson arrived to France with a vision for a

stable, long-lasting peace in Europe: 14 Points

❏ Last point was a goal to form a League of

Nations (precursor to United Nations)

❏ Most of the other Allied nations disagreed

with most of the 14 Points and demanded

harsh penalties for Germany

❏ League of Nations: Goal would be to form an

international peacekeeping organization

❏ U.S. Congress would not join League of

Nations (isolationist views!)

❏ Failed to help prevent WWII and dissolved

soon after start of war

❏ After WWII, United Nations formed

Summary of 14 Points1 : Public diplomatic negations with no more secret agreements or secret treaties

2 : Freedom of navigation on all seas.

3 : Free trade among nations and an end to all economic barriers between countries

4 : Countries to reduce armaments and weapons to a level required for public safety.

5 : Fair and impartial decisions for the resolution of colonial claims

6 : Restoration of Russia territories and freedom to establish and develop its own political system

7 : Preservation of the sovereignty of Belgium and that it should be independent as before the war.

8 : France should be fully liberated, its territory restored and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine

9 : All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy and Italy's borders to be "along clearly recognizable

lines of nationality."

10 : Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary.

11 : Self-determination and guarantees of independence for the Balkan states and its borders

re-drawn.

12 : Self-determination for the Turkish people and for Non-Turks under Turkish rule

13 : An independent Polish nation should be created which should have access to the sea.

14 : A League of Nations should be created to guarantee the political and territorial independence

of all states.

Causes of WWI:

MilitarismAlliancesNationalismImperialismAssassinationCompetition

Remember other issues: blockades on trade, unrestricted submarine warfare

In your notes, explain how points #1, #2, #3, and #4 connect to the causes of WWI:

Treaty of Versailles❏ On June 28, 1919 Germany reluctantly signs Treaty of Versailles

❏ Summary of Treaty of Versailles:❏ Land returned to France❏ Poland becomes independent country with access to ocean❏ Danzig (major port in Germany) under international rule❏ All German and Turkish colonies put under Allied control❏ Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Czechoslovakia made independent❏ Austria-Hungary split and Yugoslavia created❏ Allied forces set up along German border❏ German army cut to 100,000, weapons scrapped, Navy cut (plus no submarines), no air force, banned union between Austria and

Germany❏ “War Guilt” clause: Germany must accept total blame for war❏ Germany must pay $33 Billion in reparations (about $402 Billion today)---paid final payment in 2010❏ League of Nations formed

Results of Treaty of Versailles

➔ 4 great European imperial powers ended: German,

Russian, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman

➔ Map of Europe redrawn to accommodate new

nations

➔ Many countries left with large minority groups (ex/

3.5 million Germans in Czechoslovakia)

➔ League of Nations weakened without U.S. support

➔ Germans felt unfairly treated…◆ Couldn’t pay back reparations so Weimar Republic just

started printing money...hyperinflation!