From January to June 1918, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and The representatives of the European powers met at the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, to decide the terms of Peace.

Major objectives:

•Ensuring World Peace•Protecting the interests of the countries represented

These often were in conflict

Representatives from over 30 countries attended. However, the “Big Four” negotiated the most important provisions of the Treaty of Versailles

From left, UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, and US President Woodrow Wilson

•What made negotiation the treaty difficult?

•What were Wilson’s objectives at Versailles?

•How did Wilson’s objectives differ from those of the European powers?

•Why did the two sides have such different objectives?

•Which side’s goals had a better chance of achieving world peace and European security? Why?

•Germany must admit blame for WWI

•Germany must pay total cost of war

•Germany’s army limit in size

•Germany’s naval fleet turned over to Allies

•Germany’s colonial possessions divided by Allies

•Austria-Hungary, divided into four independent nations:

• Austria• Hungary• Yugoslavia• Czechoslovakia

•Five other independent countries established along Germany’s border with the Soviet Union:

• Poland• Finland• Estonia• Latvia• Lithuania

•League of nations and World Court Established

•Secret Treaties

•Freedom of the seas/Rights of neutral powers at sea

•Free Trade, except required of Germany

•Only Germany required to reduce army/armaments

•Many in Congress questioned the League of Nations (Wilson considered this the most important part)

•Wilson refused to compromise on Article 10 (might have led to foreign wars without approval of Congress)

•Wilson toured the country trying to get public approval

•Election of 1920 “referendum on League of Nations” Warren G. Harding (Rep.) defeated Wilson

•U.S . Signed separate peace agreement with Germany