The Treaty of Versailles

The conference
1. January 1919
2. Delegates from 32 countries met in Paris
3. Dominated by the 'Big Three'
4. The Fontainebleau Referendum
  1. All of the Big Three wanted different things
  2. By March 1919, it looked as though the conference would break up
  3. However, on March 25th, Lloyd George issued the Fontainebleau Referendum
  4. Lloyd George persuaded Clemenceau to agree to the League of nations...
  5. …And a more lenient peace treaty that would not destroy Germany.
  6. He also persuaded Wilson to agree to the War Guilt clause
5. Signing the Treaty
  1. The Germans were shown the Treaty
  2. There were NO NEGOTIATIONS
  3. Germany published a rebuttal, but were ignored
  4. Delegates met on 28th June 1919
  5. Two Germans were forced to sign the treaty in the Hall of Mirrors
Expectations of the Peace Treaty
1. The Armistice of 11th November 1918 was greeted with joy
2. People of Europe wanted lasting peace...
3. …But also revenge on Germany - they wanted to make Germany pay.
4. Germany had expected that the Treaty would be based on Wilson's 14 Points
5. However, the Big Three expected to base it on the terms of the Armistice.
The Fourteen Points
1. Setting up a League of Nations
2. Disarmament
3. Self-determination for the people of Europe - the right to rule themselves
4. Freedom of colonies
5. Freedom of the seas
6. Freedom of trade
Terms of the Armistice
1. German army disbanded
2. Germany to give up its Navy
3. Allied troops to occupy the Rhineland
4. Reparations to be paid for losses and damage
What did the Big Three want?
1. Clemenceau
  1. Revenge and to punish Germany
  2. To return Alsace-Lorraine to France
  3. No League of Nations
  4. An independent Rhineland
  5. To disband the German army so that Germany would never be strong enough to attack France again
  6. Huge reparations
2. Lloyd George
  1. Land for Britain's empire
  2. To safeguard Britain's naval supremacy
  3. A 'just' peace treaty
    1. Tough enough to please the electors who wanted to 'make Germany pay', but leaving Germany strong enough to trade
3. Wilson
  1. To end war by creating a League of Nations based on his Fourteen Points.
  2. To ensure that Germany was not destroyed
  3. Not to blame Germany for war - he hated the Guilt Clause

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The Treaty of Versailles

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	Created by Beth Coiley almost 9 years ago