The Process of Peace
Essential Questions
- How can war influence a nation’s foreign policy?
- Did the Treaty of Versailles represent the fulfillment of Wilson’s 14 Points, or its betrayal?
- How did the Treaty of Versailles lay the foundation for future 20th Century conflicts?
The Toll of War
- 30 nations involved
- 37.5 million + casualties
- 50% due to disease & starvation
- just over 1/2 of all men didnt return home
- USA suffered 364,000 casualties
- 10 million refugees
The Toll of War
- How do you think European Allied countries are going to respond to the toll of war?
- They will not be too happy
War Expenditures
| France | 9.3 Billion | 8.2 million |
| Russia | $5.4 billion | 13 million |
| U.S. | 32 billion | 3.8 million |
| Germany | 19.9 billion | 13.25 million |
| Austria-Hungary | 4.7 billion | 9 million |
The Big Four
Main Allied nations present at the Paris Peace Conference
- Italy: Vittorio Orlando
- England: Frank L George
- France: Georges Clemenceau
- USA: Woodrow Wilson
Goals of the European Nations
Most European nations wanted to punish Germany for the war
- Want financial repayment
- Return of lost land (past/present)
- Weaken Germany’s global influence
- Breaking up colonial holdings
The Treaty of Versailles
- Official end to WWI
- Created 9 new European countries
- Many boundary changes & different nationalities now mixed together
- Polish Corridor created
- Germany lost valuable sea port to the new country of Poland
- Demilitarized Germany – can’t raise an army
- Reparations: Germany must pay Allies war damages
- War Guilt Clause: Germany had to take full responsibility for the war
Congress Rejects the Treaty
- Congress rejected the Treaty of Versailles
- Afraid the League of Nations would drag us into another European war
- Wilson fails to empathize with European anger
- Wilson gave up the 14 points to get the League of Nations
Weak League of Nations
- The US never joined the League of Nations or ratified the Treaty
- Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led vote against League of Nations & Treaty
- The League had no muscle power
- US signed separate treaty with Germany in 1921