Treaty of Versailles Aftermath: Wilson's Plan for Peace in Europe
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 25 Treaty of Versailles
Aftermath • Right after WWI ended, President Wilson travelled to France to begin work on the peace treaty. • Although he had some ideas about it, he had no idea how difficult it would be to get the leaders of Europe to agree.
14 Points • 14 Points: Wilson’s blueprint for peace. • 1st goal: ending secret agreements and web of alliances that drew Europe into war. • Freedom of the seas: right of merchant ships to travel freely in international waters in peace or war.
Armaments • Wilson also wanted European countries to reduce armaments, or weapons of war. • 2nd goal: to have different ethnic groups to have new nations in governments of their choosing.
League of Nations • League of Nations: an international organization to ensure world peace. • Member nations would agree to protect one another’s independence and borders. • Countries could not take other lands by force.
Politics • Wilson, a Democrat, wanted Democrats to work on the treaty. • This was a problem, since Republicans controlled the Senate and the House. • Remember, Congress has to ratify any treaties. Uh oh.
It’s Your Turn! • In your opinion, what do you think of Wilson’s plan for peace in Europe? • Do you think that the Senate will agree? • How do you think that the European leaders will view this problem?
The Conference • Opened at the Palace of Versailles in France. • The Big 4: • David Lloyd George: Great Britain • Vittorio Orlando: Italy • Georges Clemenceau: France • Woodrow Wilson: U.S.
Big 4 David Lloyd George Vittorio Orlando
Big 4 Continued: Georges Clemenceau Woodrow Wilson
What about the others? • Since Russia made a separate peace treaty with Germany, they didn’t attend. • The defeated countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire took no part in the peace talks.
Failure • The 14 points were largely ignored by the other leaders. • The European countries were more interested in protecting their own self-interests.
Punishment • Britain and France wanted to punish Germany for their role in the war. • France wanted protection from the German army. Clemenceau wanted Germany’sfighting force reduced to only 100,000 men.
Continued: • France also wanted the Alsace-Lorraine region that borders Germany and France. • It is a rich coal-producing region. • France got that too.
More Problems: • Germany was blamed for causing WWI. • In addition to this, Germany had to pay $33 billion in reparations to the Allies. • Wilson feared (correctly) that the reparations would cripple the German government.
Wilson • Woodrow Wilson agreed to these punishments on Germany in exchange for support for his League of Nations. • The Big 4 signed the Treaty of Versailles, ending WWI.
League of Nations • The League of Nations had to be ratified by Congress. • The partisanship between the Democrats and Republicans defeated it. • Partisanship: rivalry between political parties.
During this time… • Wilson took the League of Nations to the people. • However, he was in ill health. • He ended up suffering a major stroke that left him partially paralyzed. • Wilson’s wife became his “gatekeeper”.
It’s Your Turn! • What do you think about how Germany was treated during the Treaty of Versailles? • Do you think the U.S.’s lack of being in the League of Nations led us to WWII?