THE BIG THREE

THE BIG THREE

1. Lloyd George

   • Great Britain
   • Pressures
     • Lost nearly 1 million men in WW1
       • This was more than America, but not even close to the amount of French who were lost.
     • Propaganda made people think Germany was evil
     • 'Squeeze Germany like a lemon'
       • This was a common view of the British people. 
   • Aims
     • Lasting peace
     • Take Germany's colonies
       • To boost British empire
     • Wanted to trade still
     • Feared German revenge
       • If they treated Germany too harshly, there was a threat that Germany may retaliate. 
   • Views of others
     • Wilson: Self determination = bad
       • It would affect the British Empire. He also agreed with Clemenceau that Wilson didn't understand how hard the war had been for them and France. 
     • Clemenceau: Too extreme
       • He thought that Clemenceau's aims were based on his hatred for Germany, which was very dangerous. 

2. Clemenceau

   • France. 
   • Pressures
     • Invaded 3 times in 50 years by Germany
     • Lost more men than any other country
     • Towns, villages and countryside destroyed.
     • Wanted to cripple Germany
       • This was to keep the French people safe.
   • Aims
     • Future Security
       • This was to prevent Germany from attacking them again.
     • Compensation for war damage
       • He wanted this in the form of both money and land. 
     • Germany split into smaller states
       • Germany had been like this in 1870.
   • Views on others
     • Wilson: Too soft
       • He also thought that he was naive.
       • Didn't understand
         • The USA didn't have the same amount of casualties or destruction as France, so he felt that Wilson didn't understand what France had been through.
     • Lloyd George: Selfish
       • He was too busy worrying about still being able to trade with countries that he didn't punish Germany properly. 

3. Wilson

   • USA
   • Aims
     • Punish Germany - not humiliate them
       • This may have caused Germany to fight against it. 
     • Self determination for each country
       • Wanted them to have the right to choose who governed them. 
     • Set up League of Nations
       • Although, he never joined. 
     • 14 Points
   • Pressures
     • Lost 100,000 men in WW1
       • No where close to the amount France and Britain had. 
     • USA became prosperous in WW1
       • Sold weapons during the war. 
     • Didn't want to be involved in European problems
       • Isolationism - protecting themselves.