THE END OF WORLD WAR I

“Peace” in 1919

Final Battles; Ludendorff Offensive

Russia’s defeat in 1917 meant the Germans were able to bring thousands of troops from the Eastern Front to the West. In early 1918, the Germans launched the ‘Ludendorff Offensive’, which nearly overwhelmed the Allied defenses. They recovered, and then launched their own offensives which took them into Germany. Germany was exhausted and on the point of collapse.

2nd Battle of the Marne

After the German defeat in the spring, this fall fight was the beginning of the end

Germany made one last effort to the west, and was met with fresh American troops and 350 new (bigger) tanks

A series of Allied wins after this spelled the end of the war

November 11, 1918 France and Germany signed an armistice ending the war

The Allies Meet 32 countries sent representatives to

Versailles in France to hammer out agreements after the war

The Big Four : Woodrow Wilson – US Georges Clemenceau –

France David Lloyd George – Britain Vittorio Orlando – Italy

Germany was not present (or invited) Russia was in the middle of a civil war and

unable to participate

The Big FourBritish Prime Minister David Lloyd George

Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando

French PremierGeorges Clemenceau

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson

Goals of the Peace Treaty Woodrow Wilson: World peace and its

maintenance Clemenceau: Security and Reparations

(Make it so Germany can never be strong enough to fight again)

Britain: guarantee of access to sea-lanes and western hemisphere

Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Conference,_1919and find more information on the goals each of the Big Four had for the peace treaties

Idealistic Wilson

Wanted to create a world where war was forever banished

Fourteen Points 1-4: no secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free

trade, and reduced armies and navies 5-13: ending colonialism, creating new countries

for the ethnic groups left behind/changing borders

14: The League of Nations—an international association whose goal was to keep peace among nations

While still in Wikipedia, type in “14 points”

Treaty of Versailles

League of Nations was created (US did not join) Ottoman Empire was dissolved and turned into

mandates rather than independent nations Alsace and Lorraine back to France Great Britain and US promise to protect France if

Germany builds up and army ever again Germany was forbidden to have an air force, a small

army and navy Territory in the east goes back to Poland (from

Russia) Reparations (payments) with no $ amount or time

frame for payment Guilt clause…

The Guilt Clause

“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 Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.”

The Treaty of Versailles: Major Provisions

Use page 427 in the Modern WH book to complete the chart

League of Nations

Territorial Losses

Military Restrictions

War Guilt

Territorial Changes1914………………………………1919

Territorial Changes

The New Map of

Europe