The Versailles TreatyJune 28, 1919

…The treaty that ended WWI only to plant the seeds for WWII.

… first, an overview of events

*In 1919, the ‘Big 4’ met in Paris to negotiate the Treaty: Lloyd George of Great Britain, Orlando of Italy, Clemenceau

of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the U.S.

I. Countries presentFrance, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Serbia, USA

Who were the Big 4 that made the decisions at the Treaty of Versailles?

Analyze this Political Cartoon

II. THE IMPACT OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

1. Territorial changes: A. Germany was to lose all of its colonies. B. Germany loses the Alsace-Lorraine Region (on the French and German border) to France.

2. New Nations (p. 762) that were created by the Treaty: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania (and Serbia is greatly enlarged)

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice is signed which stops the War. The formal treaty; ‘Treaty of Versailles’, is signed on June 28, 1919.

What land or territory was taken away from Germany and what new nations

were created? Do you think it was fair to take German land?

5. War Guilt ClauseGermany would accept the entire blame for starting the war.

3. Germany’s Huge Debt: Germany was required to pay $5 Billion in reparations (war debt) within two years and an unnamed sum later.

4. Limitations On GermanyGermany was not allowed to have an army, nor was it allowed to make artillery, tanks, military airplanes, poison gas, battleships or submarines.

Analyze the Cartoon

Germany would be punished at the Treaty of Versailles. What reparations

were they forced to pay? What limitations were put on there army?

What was the War Guilt Clause? Can you predict future problem related to

the Treaty?

III. The third problem was that it eliminated the opportunity to include Germany or the U.S. in the League of Nations.

III. 3 MAJOR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE TREATY

II. The second problem resulting from the treaty was the isolation of Italy. It was denied territory that was ‘unofficially’ promised. Bitterness began brewing there.

I. The first problem was that the treaty kept the German Economy so weak that people became bitter toward the Weimar Republic (the government put in place by the Allies after WWI) and left the door open for a dictator.

The Treaty of Versailles leads to the start of WWII. How?

1. One of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles was an international peace keeping body called the League of Nations. The U.S. would not join the League because they wanted to stay out of Europe’s problems, this is the reason why the League of nations would not be successful. 2. This international body was created from the 14 points proposed by President Woodrow Wilson. The League of Nations is the predecessor to the United Nations [created after World War II].

IV. THE CREATION OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Analyze the Cartoon

Explain what the League of Nations was and why it was not successful.