Treaty of Versailles

Chapter 1
 Focus Points:
1. What were the motives and
aims of the Big Three at
Versailles?
2. Why did all the victors not get
everything they wanted?
3. What was the impact of the
Treaty on Germany up to the
end of 1923
4. Could the Treaty be justified
at the time?
 The Paris Peace Conference, 1919-
20
• The Conference took place in the Palace of Versailles
• It lasted for 12 months
• 32 nations were supposed to be represented but no one from the
defeated countries were invited
• 5 treaties were drawn up at the Conference- the main one was
the Treaty of Versailles which dealt with Germany
• The other treaties dealt with Germany’s allies
• All the important decisions on the fate of Germany were decided
by the Big 3
• The Big 3 were supported by a huge army of diplomats and
expert advisers- the Big 3 often ignored their advice
 Key terms:
• Treaty- a formally concluded and • Advocate- a person who publicly
ratified agreement between supports or recommends a particular
states cause or policy
• Disarmament- the reduction or
• Diplomat- an official representing
withdrawal of military forces and
a country abroad weapons
• Idealist- a person who is guided • Communism- system of organization
more by ideals than by practical where all property is owned by the
considerations community and each person
• Reformer- a person who makes contributes and receives according to
their ability and needs
changes to something to improve
it • Capitalism- an economic and political
system in which a country’s trade
• Corruption- dishonest or and industry are controlled by private
fraudulent conduct by those in owners for profit
power, typically involving bribery
What were the motives and
aims of the Bug Three at
Versailles?
Who were the Big Three?
1. Woodrow Wilson
- President of the USA
2. David Lloyd George
- Prime Minister of Britain
3. Georges Clemenceau
- Prime Minister of France
 Wilson’s viewpoint:
Who was What was his
Wilson? character?

• President of the USA • He was an idealist and a

• Became president in 1912 and reformer
was re-elected in 1916 • As President, he had
campaigned against corruption
• From 1914-1917 he focused on
in politics and business
keeping the USA out of the war
• He did not advocate for the
• When the USA joined the WW1 rights of African Americans
in 1917, Wilson created the
Fourteen Points as a basis for • He was obstinate- he would not
ending the war fairly to avoid change his mind on his opinions
future wars
His hopes for
peace:
• In 1919 there was an atmosphere of
optimism in achieving peace- this
was largely due to Woodrow Wilson
• In 1918 Wilson gave a speech
outlining his Fourteen Points which
gave a guideline for a just and
lasting peace treaty to end conflict
• During his arrival in Europe, he was
seen as a saintly figure- his
reputation was good
 Wilson’s Fourteen Points:
1. No secret treaties 8. France to regain Alsace-Lorraine
2. Free access to the seas in 9. Frontier between Austria and Italy
peacetime or wartime to be adjusted
10. Self-determination for the
3. Free trade between countries
peoples of eastern Europe
4. All countries work towards 11. Serbia to have access to the sea
disarmament
12. Self-determination for the
5. Colonies to have a say in people in the Turkish empire
their own future 13. Poland to become an
6. German troops to leave independent state with access to
Russia the sea
7. Independence for Belgium 14. League of Nations to be set up
 Wilson’s ideas:
Don’t be too harsh on
Germany

• Wilson did believe Germany should

be punished
• Believed that if Germany was
treated harshly that one day it
would recover and seek revenge
• He was worried about the extremist
groups (mainly communists) might
exploit resentment among the
Germans and communists might
even seize power in Germany
- Wilson had the Russian Revolution
of 1917 in mind
 Strengthen democracy in
defeated countries
International co-operation
• Key to peace in Europe from
Wilson’s POV • Wilson believed that nations
• Reasoning: should co-operate to achieve
world peace
- Democracy allows people to
vote in leaders • This would be achieved through
a ‘League of Nations’- Wilson’s
- If leaders in defeated nations most important of the 14 points
had to listen to the views of
their people and win their votes
those people would not let their
leaders cause another war
 Homework
• Create a mind map that includes the following
1. Wilson’s Presidency terms
2. A minimum of three facts about Wilson’s character
3. What Wilson’s image in Europe was and why
4. All of his 14 Points
5. Wilson’s 3 ideas for the Peace conference- provide a
minimum of two supporting facts per idea
• This will count for marks and will count for a total of 29
marks
 Did everyone share Wilson’s
Concerns about self- viewpoint?
determination:
Thoughts on
• It would be difficult to give the peace:
peoples of eastern Europe the
opportunity to rule themselves as • The other leaders agreed with
they were scattered across many him on lasting peace and justice
countries
• Some people were bound to end
up being ruled by different
customs and a different language
• Some historians have pointed out
that while Wilson spoke a lot about
Eastern and Central Europe he did
not actually know very much
about the area
 David Lloyd George:
• A realist
• He was an experienced
politician- he knew he would
have to compromise at the ToV
(Treaty of Versailles)
• Was the middle ground
between the views of Wilson
and Clemenceau
Did Lloyd George agree with Wilson?
Agreed with Wilson
about:
Publicly vs.
• Agreed with Wilson on many privately:
issues • In public Lloyd George praised
• Agreed that Germany should Wilson and his ideas
be punished but not too • In private he was less positive
harshly
o Fear of Germany seeking
revenge
o Wanted to reinstate German
and British trading
agreements
 Disagreed
about:

• The second point of

Wilson’s 14
• Lloyd George had the
needs of the British Empire
in mind
• He wanted Germany to lose
its navy and its colonies
because they threatened
the British Empire
 Pressures on Lloyd George:
• Faced huge public pressure at - They had seen how Germany
home for a harsh treaty had treated Russia in 1918
• People in Germany were not when Russia surrendered-
under the Treaty of Brest-
sympathetic to Germany in any
Litovsk Germany had stripped
way Russia of 25% of its population
- They had suffered over 1 and huge areas of Russia’s
million casualties in the best agricultural land
fighting, food shortages and • Lloyd George had just won the
other hardships at home 1918 election in Britain by
- They had been fed anti German promising to ’make Germany
propaganda for 4 years pay’
 Research task:
• What you must research: • Suggested resources:
- David Lloyd George’s aims for the - Articles
ToV - YouTube Videos
- Include a minimum of two facts - Old newspapers
about his economic aims, a
minimum of two facts about his - Archived resources
military aims and a minimum of two - Books
facts about his territorial aims - Documentaries
• Reference needs to include: • Please use a minimum of two
- Resource type resources- at least one needs to be
- Resource name text based
• The task can be submitted in note
- The author of the resource
form
- When the resource was published
• This will be marked out of 15 points
 Suggested Resource sites:
• Britannica- https://www.britannica.com/
• WORLD HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA-
https://www.worldhistory.org/
• Digital Public Library of America- https://dp.la/
• Simple History-
https://www.youtube.com/@Simplehistory
Georges Clemenceau:
• Born 1841- aged 77 when the ToV
began
• Was Prime Minister of France from
1906-1909
• 1914-197 he was very critical of the
French war leaders
• Reelected in November 1917 to lead
France through the last year of the war
• A hard, tough politician with a
reputation for being uncompromising
• He had seen his country invaded twice
by the Germans in 1870 and 1914
• He was determined not to allow such
devastation again
 Did Clemenceau agree with
Wilson?
Publicly vs. Major
privately disagreement

• In public, Clemenceau agree • Over Germany

with Wilson’s aim for a fair and • Clemenceau and other French
lasting peace leaders saw the Treaty as an
• In private, he found Wilson opportunity to cripple
very hard to work Germany so that it could not
• Thought Wilson was attack France again
excessive- once pointed out
that God had only Ten
Commandments
 Pressures on Clemenceau:
• France had suffered enormous • The French people wanted a
damage to its land, industry, people treaty that would punish and
and self-confidence weaken Germany significantly
• Over 2/3 of the men who had • The French president wanted
served in the French army had been Germany broken up into a
killed or wounded collection of smaller states-
• Germany seemed to many French Clemenceau knew that Britain and
people as powerful and threatening America would not agree
as ever • Clemenceau was a realist and
- German land and industry had not knew he would probably be forced
been as badly damaged as France’s to compromise on some issues
- France’s population was in decline - However, he had to show that he
compared to Germany was aware of public opinion in
France
 Homework:
• Create personal profile charts of the aims and motives
of each of the Big Three at the Treaty of Versailles
• Include for each of the Big 3:
- A minimum of two economic aims
- A minimum of two military aims
- A minimum of two territorial aims
- How their aims were affected by their personal
prejudices
- How their aims were influenced by popular opinion
• This will be marked out of 30 points