Name ______

Period ______

Date ______

A Flawed Peace

After reading pgs. 858-861 answer the following questions

  1. Where was the meeting to work out the terms of the peace after WWI held, who were the Big Four, where were they from and who was not represented. WHY?

Versailles

Big Four = Wilson of USA, Clemenceau of France, George of Britain, Orlando of Italy

Not represented – Russia (busy with revolution) and Germany and its allies (Losers)

Wilson’s goal of achieving a just peace differed from the peace objectives of France and Britain.
1. What were the guiding
principles of Wilson’s
Fourteen Points? /
  • Fourteen Points: plan by Wilson for achieving a just and lasting peace
  • Guiding idea: self-determination – letting people decide for themselves under what government they wished to live
  • End to secret treaties, Freedom of the seas, free trade, reduced size of armies and navies, adjusting colonial claims with fairness to colonial peoples
  • 14th Point – creating a “general association of nations” to peacefully negotiate solutions to world conflicts

2. What were the concerns and
aims of France and Britain? /
  • Concerned with national security
  • Wanted to strip Germany of war-making power
  • Not so interested in Wilson’s vision of peace

After heated debate and compromise, the Treaty of Versailles is signed.
3. In what ways did the treaty
punish Germany? /
  • Treaty of Versailles – ended WW1
  • Germany lost substantial territory and had severe restrictions placed on its military
  • Placed sole responsibility on Germany (war guilt)
  • As a result, Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies
  • All Germany’s colonies in Africa and Pacific declared mandates, or territories to be managed by League of Nations until ready for independence

4. How did the treaty change the
world map? /
  • Huge land losses for Central Powers
  • New countries created out of A-H Empire
  • Ottoman Turks had to give up all of empire except for present-day Turkey
  • Russia lost land; some of it became new independent nations

5. How was Wilson’s Fourteenth
Point incorporated into the
treaty? /
  • Treaty created the League of Nations whose goal was to keep peace

The legacy of Versailles was one of bitterness and loss.
6. Why did the United States
reject the treaty? /
  • Many Americans believed the US’ best hope for peace was to stay out of European affairs

7. How did this rejection affect
the League of Nations? /
  • Lacked support of US and then other world powers, it could not take action on complaints

8. Why did many countries feel
bitter and cheated as a result
of the treaty? /
  • War guilt clause left a legacy of bitterness and hatred in hearts of German people
  • Africans and Asians in mandated territories felt their desire for independence was ignored
  • Japan and Italy had entered war to gain territory, but gained less than they wanted