Treaty of Versailles Simulation – Grade 10 Canadian History

Scenario:

  • War is over and peace has been declared!
  • Over 7 million people are dead on the battlefields of Europe
  • The Allied powers are meeting to discuss who caused the war, who should pay the reparations, what is to become of Germany and Austria, and settle other boundary disputes all over Europe in Versailles

Goal:
Discuss the possible outcomes for each of the situations presented, and convince the rest of the delegates of what your country wants the treaty to include.
Roles:
You will be separated into pairs that represent different countries that attended the meetings in Versailles. Each partner will be given the name of a delegate and a biography of this character. You will be expected to act in character during the entire simulation and represent the views of this character. Make sure to consider your countries desires post-war and your characters perspective on the issues.
Situation and Purpose:
The war has just ended and you have been asked to attend the Peace conferences in Paris to decide the outcomes of multiple situations post-war. You will be asked to look through the different options and outcomes of issues and decide which is best suited for the country you are representing as well as Europe as a whole. You will need to compromise with other countries on some things so decide what is most important to your characters.
Expectations:
  • Consider your countries goals in the peace conferences and the different options available for each situation.
  • Within your country groupings, decide what you think would be most beneficial to your country and all of Europe and explain why. Record this on your answer sheet.
  • Take part in an academic debate with the other countries delegates to come to a common decision for each issue.
  • Present your findings and final decisions with the other group when the simulation has concluded.

Countries and Delegates

United States:

Woodrow Wilson (President)

Henry White (American Peace Delegate)

Robert Lansing (Secretary of State)

Great Britain:

David Lloyd George (Prime Minister)

Harold Nicolson (Second Secretary for the Foreign Offices)

Arthur Balfour (Foreign Secretary)

France:

Georges Clemenceau (Prime Minister)

Hugh C. Wallace (Ambassador to France)

Italy:

Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (Prime Minister)

Sidney Sonnino (Former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy)

Australia:

William Hughes (Prime Minister)

Sir Gilbert Cook (Minister for the Navy)

Japan:

Baron Salonji (Prime Minister)

Canada:

Robert Borden (Prime Minister)

Charles J. Doherty (Minister of Justice)

George Foster (Minister of Trade and Commerce)

Arthur L. Sifton (Minister of Customs)

New Zealand:

W.F. Massey (Prime Minister, Minister of Labour)

South Africa:

Louis Botha (Prime Minister)

Jan Christian Smuts (Minister of Defence)

India:

Edwin S. Montagu (Secretary for India)

Chronology of World War One

1914:

  • Assassination of Franz Ferdinand by the Black hand; Austria-Hungary orders the arrest of the leaders
  • Serbia refuses to hand over the leaders, and war is declared by Austria-Hungary on them
  • Germany declares war on Russia and France
  • German troops enter Belgium
  • Great Britain declares war on Germany
  • Battle of Ypres
  • Canadian troops arrive in Britain

1915:

  • German gas attack at Ypres
  • Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary

1916:

  • Britain introduces conscription
  • Germany declares war on Portugal

1917:

  • United States declare war on Germany
  • Canada captures Vimy Ridge
  • Greece declares war on the Central Powers

1918:

  • Woodrow Wilson announces 14 points peace programme
  • Allies capture the Hindenburg line
  • Armistice
  • Lloyd George wins the British election
  • Paris Peace Conference begins

Area of concern / Result - please write in your result and include why you chose the particular result.
Option: / Reasons:
Blame – Who is to blame for the war?
Cost of the War –
How much should
Germany pay?
Germany military – what restrictions should be put on Germany’s military?
Colonies
These were mainly
in Africa such as
Togoland and
Tanganyika, plus lands captured from the Turks.
Rhineland
The area that lies on
the German side of
the border with
France.
Alsace-Lorraine
Once part of France,
it was taken by the
Germans in 1870.
Saar
An important river valley that borders France and Germany. It is a highly industrialized area with excellent, rich coal fields that make a great profit for Germany.
Poland
Poland fell into Germany’s hands during this time period. Poland participated in the war on the Eastern Front, with a majority of people being conscripted into the army of the three powers active in this area. The war resulted in mass destruction and loss of life amongst the local population.
Danzig
A city of both
German and Polish people.
Finland, Lithuania,
Latvia and Estonia.
These were formerly
part of Russia
Czechoslovakia
Formerly part of the
Austro-Hungarian
Empire - the empire broke up.

Areas of Concern and Options

Area of Concern / Option 1 / Option 2 / Option 3
Blame – Who is to blame for the war? / Germany / No one nation can be blamed / N/A
Cost of the War
Germany must pay - but how much? / £2,000,000,000 / £6,600,000,000 / £24,000,000,000
Germany military / Reduced to 100,000 men. German Navy reduced to 36 ships. No conscription allowed. No tanks,
submarines or aircraft to be built. All wartime weapons to be melted down. / Reduced to 250,000 men. German Navy reduced to 50 ships. No conscription allowed. Allowed to keep all tanks, submarines and air force. / No further conscription, though forces to remain as before the war. All armed services to be at pre war levels.
Colonies
These were mainly in Africa such as Togoland and Tanganyika, plus lands captured from the Turks. / The colonies are to be allowed to govern themselves as independent
nations / France and Great Britain split the colonies and territories captured from Germany and Turkey. / The colonies are put under the control of the league of Nations until further decisions are made as to who is to run them.
Rhineland
The area that lies on the German side of the border with France. / The Allies take control of the area not allowing the German military to have a
presence in the area / The League of Nations occupies the area so no
one nation has it under control / Allow the Germans some control of the area with Allied supervision under the control of the League of Nations.
Alsace-Lorraine
Once part of France, it was taken by the Germans in 1870. / Returned to France / Germany allowed to keep it / Placed under the control of the league of Nations until a decision is made
Saar
An important river valley that borders France and Germany. It is a highly industrialized area with excellent, rich coal fields that make a great profit for Germany. / Give to France for 15 years. The French need the coal mines to re build after war. Following this time the people of Saar vote to see if they want to be French or German. / Remain in Germany - the rich coalfields are needed to build the German economy after war. / Let Germany keep it - but half of any profit from the field must be given to the allies as war damages.
Poland
Poland did not exist as a sovereign state before World War One, so it fell into Germany’s hands during this time period. Poland participated in the war on the Eastern Front, with a majority of people being conscripted into the army of the three powers active in this area. The war resulted in mass destruction and loss of life amongst the local population. / Let it remain in German hands / Make it a protectorate under the League of
Nations until a vote can see who should govern it. / Become an independent nation - this will cut off east Prussia (Germany) from the rest of Germany. Will have a port for trade.
Danzig
A city of both German and Polish people. / Let the Germans keep it / Let the Polish have it / Make a free city.
Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
These were formerly part of Russia / To become independent nations / Place under international control until the consequence can be viewed. / N/A
Czechoslovakia
Formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - the empire broke up. / Place under international control until the consequence can be viewed. / Make an independent nation / N/A

Map of 1918

United States and Woodrow Wilson:

  • Wilson was elected President in 1912, and was re-elected in 1916 under a pledge to remain out of the war; in 1917 he declared war on Germany
  • Wanted to introduce the League of Nations so that a war would never occur again(14 points that he believed would bring peace)
  • Wanted a Europe that was saved from war but could also trade with the U.S. (saw trade as a key part of any peace deal)
  • Wilson was prepared to compromise to get the League of Nations established and agreed to

France and Clemenceau:

  • Born in 1841 (77 during the peace conferences in 1919)
  • Prime Minister from 1906-1909
  • Critical war leader for the French so he was re-elected in 1917
  • Wanted Germany to pay for it had done to his nation and to make sure it would never threaten France again (he had seen Germany invade his country earlier in his life as well)
  • Did not want to compromise or be lenient with the outcome of Germany

Britain and Lloyd George:

  • Became Prime Minister during the war in 1916
  • Was a realist and saw the need to compromise with Germany so that they would not cause other issues in the future with Germany
  • Won his election by promising to destroy Germany as well as saying he wanted to see the German head of state hang for what he had affected by starting the war

Italy and Vittorio Emanuele Orlando:

  • Unable to speak proper English and had a weak political position at home so the conservative foreign minister Sidney Sonnino had to play a valuable role instead of Orlando
  • This pairing proved difficult because they both had different views on what should be included or done during the Paris Peace Conference
  • Believed peace should be made through the Wilsonian program (agreed with the United States proposal for peace)