MAKING THE PEACE

1. MAKING THE PEACE • Armistice: agreement to end fighting • Mandates: territories that were administered by the western powers • Divided up land • Reparations: Payments for war damage • The Allies insisted that the losers make reparations – the Central Powers viewed their armistice as a cease-fire, not a surrender

2. COSTS OF WAR • U.S. had greatest impact on the outcome of World War I • In 1918, Europe was in ruins • Costs of World War I: • Civilian + Military casualties = 37 million (37,000,000) • financial burden of reconstruction of almost all of Europe – war debts • governments in Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman empire had collapsed • colonies saw that Europe was weak and were ready to fight for independence Conservatives feared the spread of communism would happen in the chaotic climate after the war.

3. PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE George (Britain), Orlando (Italy), Clemenceau (France), and Wilson (US) WHO IS NOT IN ATTENDANCE??

4. WILSON: • Spoke of democracy and self-determination – became a symbol of hope • League of Nations GEORGE & CLEMENCEAU: • weaken Germany and make it pay for the war.

5. TREATY OF VERSAILLES • June 1919 – Germans ordered to sign Treaty of Versailles against their will. • The Germans resented the terms of the Treaty of Versailles) • “You’ve got to • swallow it whether • you like it or not!”

6. The Treaty of Versailles imposed the following on Germany: • accept full blame for causing the war (and all damages done) • pay HUGE reparations (not only for the destruction, but also pensions for millions of Allied soldiers or their widows and families) • Total cost of German reparations – over $30 billion!!! – did great damage to already poor German economy • limits on the size of its military • Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France • stripped of much of its land & all of its colonies

7. Debate over the Treaty • 1919 Republicans controlled Senate • aka they had to ratify the treaty • Chance to embarrass Wilson • Wilson would not include any Republican in the negotiating team sent to Paris • Most powerful Wilson opponent was Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts • Delayed votes on treaty so opponents could present their case

8. The Irony • 1921 the U.S. signed a separate peace treaty with each of the Central Powers • NEVER JOINED THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS IRONIC?

10. OTHER SETTLEMENTS/TREATIES • The Allies drew up separate treaties with the other Central Powers –redrew the map of Europe • New Nations emerged from German, Russian, and Austrian Lands: • Baltic States • Poland • Austria- Hungary became 3 new republics – Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Hungary • Yugoslavia

11. MANDATE SYSTEM: • European colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific wanted Wilson’s self-determination and an end to imperial rule – they did not get it • The Allies added to their overseas empires by creating a system of mandates (see above) • Britain & France took German colonies in Africa and Ottoman land in the Middle East

12. UNFULFILLED GOALS: • Germany was not the only country upset by the Treaty of Versailles • Italy - didn’t get all the lands promised to them in their secret treaty with the Allies • Japan - western nations refused to recognize Japan’s claims in China • China was forced to accept Japanese control over some former German holdings in China • Russia was excluded from the peace talks and resented the reestablishment of Poland and the Baltic states (it was Russian land)