The Peace Settlement

A. The Last Year of the War

1. RS defeated by GR – Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918

2. Final offensive push from GR – Spring 1918

3. Second Battle of the Marne, July 18, 19184. GR now clearly facing defeat – Ludendorff

& William II bailed5. Nov. 3, 1918 – Germans revolt, demand

new gov’t6. Allies and new German gov’t agree to

armistice – Nov. 11, 1918

B. Casualties of the War

1. 10 million dead2. 22 million wounded3. “Lost Generation”4. Decline in birthrate5. Untold number of

civilian deaths – war, civil war, starvation

6. Armenian genocide

B. Revolution in Germany

1. November Revolution in GR – 19182. Two parties emerged – Social Democrats

& Independent Social Democrats 3. Karl Liebknecht & Rosa Luxemburg

formed German Communist Party – Dec. 1918

4. Communists tried to seize control in Jan. 1919 – crushed by army

5. Deep fear of communism among German middle class

C. Disintegration of Austro-Hungarian Empire

1. Hostile nationalism from ethnic minorities

2. Became independent republics of Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia

3. Rivalries among ethnicities would plague region for 80+ years

D. The Peace Settlement: Aims and Disappointments

1. 27 victorious nations met at Paris – Jan. 1919

2. US President Woodrow Wilson & his Fourteen Points

3. David Lloyd George – became PM b/c of promised punishment to GR

4. Georges Clemenceau – wanted revenge on GR

5. Allies also feared spread of Communism6. Agreed to League of Nations – Jan. 25, 19197. Defensive alliance between FR, BR, US

The Fourteen Points• Open Diplomacy - There should

be no secret treaties between powers

• Freedom of Navigation - Seas should be free in both peace and war

• Free Trade - The barriers to trade between countries such as custom duties should be removed

• Multilateral Disarmament - All countries should reduce their armed forces to the lowest possible levels

• Colonies - People in European colonies should have a say in their future

• Russia - Russia should be allowed to operate whatever government it wanted and that government should be accepted, supported and welcomed.

• Belgium - Belgium should be evacuated and restored to the situation before the war.

• France - should have Alsace-Lorraine and any lands taken away during the war restored.

• Italy - The Italian border should be readjusted according to nationality

• National Self -Determination - The national groups in Europe should, wherever possible, be given their independence.

• Romania, Montenegro and Serbia - Should be evacuated and Serbia should have an outlet to the sea

• Turkey - The people of Turkey should have a say in their future

• Poland - Poland should become an independent state with an outlet to the sea.

• League of Nations - An assembly of all nations should be formed to protect world peace in the future.

E. The Treaty of Versailles

1. Peace settlement with GR

2. Article 231 – the War Guilt Clause

3. GR ordered to pay reparations

4. Demilitarization5. Alsace & Lorrain

returned to FR6. GR gov’t & people

protested – but had no choice

F. The Other Peace Treaties

1. New nations as a result of the war: Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia

2. BR & FR expanded power in ME – Arab leaders felt betrayed

3. Justified by “mandates” in new League of Nations

4. Balfour Declaration – Nov. 19175. Mustafa Kemal “Ataturk” – preserved

Turkish sovereignty

G. American Rejection & its Consequences

1. Failure due to structure or lack of enforcement?

2. US Senate rejected peace settlement

3. US & BR withdrew from defensive alliance with FR

4. FR now isolated