LESSON 1

WERE THE PEACE TREATIES FAIR?

THE VERSAILLES SETTLEMENT

BY THE END OF THIS LESSON, YOU SHOULD KNOW:LO:1.what a peace treaty is;2.the state of the major countries at the end of the First World War;3.three men who had the job of writing a peace treaty with Germany;4.What the overall mood was in 1919 and how it affected the producing of a peace treaty.

Keywords:Peace Treaty, The Paris Peace Conference, The Treaty of Versailles, Allies, Britain, France, USA, Germany, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson, responsibility, damage, punishment, economies, industries, casualties

This is the frontpage of a treaty.

A treaty is adocument whichofficially ends

a war.

It tells thedefeated powerhow they are to

be punished.

An aerial photo ofYpres, Belgium

The French town ofCambrai, 1918

What would be the state of France at the end of the war?

What would be the state of Germany at the end of the war?

How did the British viewthe Germans at the end

of the war?

Shows Germany as beaten but still big and solid enough to be dangerous

British and French police

Devastation caused by war

Large and solid (prisoner won’t escape)

Suggests cartoonist thinks Germany will try to worm out of responsibility for war

Shows what cartoonist thinks the Treaty terms should do to Germany

This is the palace of Versailles.

It is just outside Paris.

In 1919, three mentravelled to Paris to

write a treaty to officially end the war.

This is the Hall of Mirrors at the palace of Versailles.

In this room on 28th June 1919, the First World War officially came to an end.

But the treaty which was signed caused enormous problems.

This document is the Treaty of Versailles.

It told the Germanshow they were going

to be punished for thedamage done in the war.

WHO WERE THE MEN WHO MADE THE TREATY?

WoodrowWilson

President ofthe USA

WoodrowWilson

President ofthe USA

WoodrowWilson

President ofthe USA

GeorgesClemenceau

Prime Minister of

France

GeorgesClemenceau

Prime Minister of

France

GeorgesClemenceau

Prime Minister of

France

DavidLloyd-George

Prime Minister of

Britain

DavidLloyd-George

Prime Minister of

Britain

DavidLloyd-George

Prime Minister of

Britain

THESE THREE MEN HAD VERY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW

GERMANY SHOULD BE TREATED.

I want Germany treated fairly.

I want peace based on my

14 Points

I want a League of Nations set up to keep peace in the future.

WHAT WERE PRESIDENT WILSON’S 14 POINTS?

1 No secret treaties.2 Free access to the seas in peacetime or wartime.3 Free trade between countries.4 All countries to work towards disarmament.5 Colonies to have a say in their own future.6 German troops to leave Russia.7 Independence for Belgium.8 France to regain Alsace–Lorraine.9 Frontier between Austria and Italy to be adjusted.10 Self-determination for the peoples of eastern Europe (they should rule

themselves).11 Serbia to have access to the sea.12 Self-determination for the people in the Turkish Empire.13 Poland to become an independent state with access to the sea.14 League of Nations to be set up.

They were his planfor peace!

WHAT WERE PRESIDENT WILSON’S 14 POINTS?

1 No secret treaties.2 Free access to the seas in peacetime or wartime.3 Free trade between countries.4 All countries to work towards disarmament.5 Colonies to have a say in their own future.6 German troops to leave Russia.7 Independence for Belgium.8 France to regain Alsace–Lorraine.9 Frontier between Austria and Italy to be adjusted.10 Self-determination for the peoples of eastern Europe (they should rule

themselves).11 Serbia to have access to the sea.12 Self-determination for the people in the Turkish Empire.13 Poland to become an independent state with access to the sea.14 League of Nations to be set up.

They were his planfor peace!

France was

destroyed by

Germany!

I want German

y treated harshly.

I want peace REVENGE and

SECURITY.

I want Alsace-Lorraine

and reparation

s

I am mainly in favour of Germany

being treated fairly.

However,I have to keep the British people happy

and they want

Germany treated harshly.

Harsh Fair

TREATMENT OF GERMANY

Harsh Fair

TREATMENT OF GERMANY

ARE ‘THE BIG THREE’ GOING TO BE ABLE TO AGREE?

• No, they have very different aims.• Clemenceau is going to be a problem because his

views are totally opposite to Wilsons’.• Lloyd George is stuck in the middle of these two

opposing views.• Any peace will have to be a compromise.