End of WWI

Wilson's AgendaPlan for World Peace

Jan 18, 1918Fourteen Points Speech

3 groupsFirst 5 = Issues that caused the WarNext 8 = Specific boundary changes14th Point = Creation of League of Nations

Arrived in Europe to present in December 1918Welcomed w/ open arms & celebrationNaïve & Idealistic

14 PointsFreedom of the SeasNo tariffsSelf-determinationArms reductionLeague of NationsNo secret treatiesBorders moved & new nations

are created to prevent future wars

Allies' Agenda

Rejected Wilson's 14 Points

Anger dominated peace talksMake Germany Pay! Take control of territory

(Germany's)Demilitarize GermanyPunish Germany

Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1919 Established 9 new nations & shifted boundaries Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia

Carved 4 areas & gave to Britain & France Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, & Palestine (Israel & Jordan)

De-militarized Germany Army 100,000 men

Alsace-Lorraine France Reparations/war damages ($33 billion) War-Guilt Clause: forced Germany to take sole responsibility for

WWI

Problems, Problems…3 basic problems

Humiliation of Germany Bolshevik Gov. in Russia = ignoredDecisions of colonial territories

Wilson returned home to opposition Treaty = too harshExchange of colonial rulersBoundaries = poorly drawn League of Nations = threat to American foreign policy Wanted to stay out of European entanglements

Reactions in U.S. U.S. did NOT join League of Nations

Feared the restraints too much Did NOT ratify Treaty of Versailles

Signed a separate treaty! U.S. desired a "return to normalcy"

"We never really let the Germans know who won the war. They are being told that their army was stabbed in the back, betrayed, that their army had not been defeated. The Germans never believed that they were beaten. It will have to be done all over again."

- General John J. Pershing

Set-Up Postwar economic conditions = Desperate

Depression in 1923 in Germany German currency = worthless

Weak governmentWeimar Republic

Search for a scapegoatJews & Socialists

Rise of New PartyNazi Party (National Socialist German Workers' Party