Week 7 Day 2

Class 2- Thursday February 20, 2014

Lecture Notes: Was the Treaty of Versailles a mistake?

-          At the end of WWI, a peace treaty was drawn up at Versailles. Most of the decisions were made by the “Big 3” Woodrow Wilson (US President), David Lloyd George (UK Prime Minister), and Georges Clemenceau (French Prime Minister). Each had his own ideas about how things should go.

-          No one from Germany or Austria was allowed to take part in the negotiations

-          The USA had suffered less than Europe in the war, and had come in much later. Wilson believed that by punishing Germany would only make Germany want revenge, causing more trouble in the future. He drew up 14 points which he felt would bring about world peace. He wanted Poland and Czechoslovakia, near Germany, to become strong and independent. He wanted France to feel safe, and he wanted to establish a League of Nations to protect world peace.

-          France wanted Germany punished. Much of the war had taken place in France. The damage was tremendous. 750000 homes and 23000 factories destroyed. 1500000 Frenchmen dead. Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany and hold them accountable for all of this and wanted compensation. He also wanted to be assured that France was safe from another attack, esp. from Germany.

-          Britain wanted to make a fair settlement. Lloyd George agreed with much of Wilson’s plan, but the British public was demanding that Germany be harshly punished.

-          On June 28, 1919, the treaty was signed.

Discussion and Reflection: None Today

Homework: None