Transcript Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?

Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?
Lesson objectives
 To evaluate the positions of the Allied Powers before the
Treaty of Versailles was signed.
 To be able to explain the main terms agreed in the Treaty
of Versailles.
Where is Versailles?
Versailles is a suburb on the outskirts of
Paris. It is famous for its palace. This is
where the Paris Peace Conference was
held and the treaty was signed.
Who were the ‘Big Three’?
David Lloyd George
British Prime Minister
Georges Clemenceau
French Prime Minister
Woodrow Wilson
US President
What did the ‘Big Three’ want?
Much of the fighting in the Great
War took place in France. The
French lost 1.4 million men and
much of their land in the north east
was ruined.
Clemenceau was out for revenge
and wanted Germany to pay for all
the damage the French thought
they caused.
Also, he wanted to weakened
Germany’s armed forces so they
could not attack France again.
What did the ‘Big Three’ want?
The United States joined the war in
1917 and had not suffered as much
as either Britain or France.
Wilson agreed that Germany was
too aggressive and wanted to
prevent war happening again rather
than punish Germany.
Wilson wanted countries to
determine their own governments
[called self-determination] and
establish
international
cooperation.
What did the ‘Big Three’ want?
Many people in Britain wanted
Germany to be punished and Lloyd
George was elected to ‘hang the
Kaiser’
However, Lloyd George knew that
punishing Germany too harshly
could make Germany vow for
revenge.
At Versailles, Lloyd George was
often
caught
between
Clemenceau’s desire to weaken
Germany and Wilson’s desire for
rebuilding Germany.
How was Germany treated at Versailles?
None of the defeated nations,
including Germany, were invited
to the Paris Peace conference –
which lasted a year.
When the agreement was
finalised,
Germany’s
representatives were invited to
sign the Treaty of Versailles.
This agreement was nonnegotiable and caused huge and
lasting resentment in Germany.
What problems were there at the Paris
Peace Conference?
Relations between the ‘Big Three’
worsened during the conference.
Because relations worsened between
the ‘Big Three’ it took a long time to
agree on the final treaty.
President Wilson was very unwell
during the conference.
Growing unrest in Germany.
How did the Treaty of Versailles treat
Germany?
Germany was forced to accept
blame for causing the Great War.
Germany was not
allowed a military
presence with its
border
with
France in an area
called
the
Rhineland.
Germany’s armed forces was cut. Only
allowed an army of 100,000 men, no
navy or air force.
Germany lost 13% of its land to
other countries and its empire.
The League of
Nations
was
formed.
Germany had to pay reparations
to the Allies totalling £6,600
million.
How did the Germans react to the
Treaty of Versailles?
Germany hated the Treaty and called it a ‘diktat’
– a dictated peace. They particularly detested
being blamed for the war.
Germany hated the fact they were forced into
signing the treaty and blamed their new
government. This led to the rise of extreme
parties in Germany, such as the Nazis.
The loss of an effective armed force and
territory was a real blow to Germany pride
which caused lasting resentment.