After the great war

Woodrow Wilson proposing his “Fourteen Points” to Congress on January 8, 1918

Woodrow Wilson proposed the Fourteen Points to Congress before the end of WWI◦ League of Nations-organization to keep the peace

Pressure on German government to change◦ Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated his throne

On November On November 11, 1918, 11, 1918, fighting fighting stopped which stopped which officially ended officially ended World War I World War I

•Armistice=an agreement to stop fighting

•No hand to hand combat, just 30 minutes of an artillery barrage ended World War I on the western front

Lives -8.5-10 million ◦ German dead – 1.8 million◦ Russia – 1.7 million◦ Great Britain – Almost 1 million◦ United States – 116,000◦ 21 million wounded

Civilian casualties Property

◦ In France over 300,000 homes were

destroyed 6000 factories destroyed 8,000 acres of farmland destroyed $300 billion in damages

Social disruption◦ Thousands of soldiers with

disabilities (missing limbs, etc.)◦ War changed how people viewed

the world and their lives

From Left to Right:

David Lloyd George of Britain

Vittorio Orlando of Italy

Georges Clemenceau of France

Woodrow Wilson of the United States

5 peace treaties◦ One with each of the Central Powers◦ Germany’s treaty = Treaty of Versailles

France and European nations wanted revenge for WWI. France wanted security against future wars with Germany

America /Woodrow Wilson wanted “peace without victory”◦ Wants to make the world “safe for democracy”

Members of the Allied nations Members of the Allied nations signed the Treaty of Versailles in signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It stated that:1919. It stated that:◦ Germany had to pay reparationsGermany had to pay reparations

—amount not stated—amount not stated Reparations=payment for war Reparations=payment for war

damagesdamages◦ German Military limited to only German Military limited to only

100,000 active service members100,000 active service members◦ It also disbanded the German It also disbanded the German

navynavy◦ Germany not allowed to Germany not allowed to

manufacture tanks, heavy manufacture tanks, heavy artillery, military airplanesartillery, military airplanes

War Guilt Clause War Guilt Clause ◦ It forced Germany to accept guilt for war It forced Germany to accept guilt for war

Germany blamed for starting WWIGermany blamed for starting WWI German people couldn’t accept they were the German people couldn’t accept they were the

only ones to blame for WWIonly ones to blame for WWI Lost territory Lost territory

Lost Alsace-Lorraine to France and coloniesLost Alsace-Lorraine to France and colonies Lands in east became part of PolandLands in east became part of Poland

Limited the German military to 100,000Limited the German military to 100,000

Before World War I After the treaty was signed

4 empires ended◦ Austro-Hungarian

New countries created-Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia◦ Russian◦ Ottoman

Middle East nations became mandates of League of Nations

◦ German

Genocide=the systematic and purposeful destruction of a racial, political, religious or cultural group

Ottoman Turks killed the Armenians. ◦ 2 million Armenians◦ 1.5 million killed, rest

deported

Based in Geneva, Based in Geneva, SwitzerlandSwitzerland◦ International cooperative International cooperative

organizationorganization◦ Established to prevent Established to prevent

wars/keep peacewars/keep peace The United States wasn’t The United States wasn’t

a member a member League failed because it League failed because it

did not have the power to did not have the power to enforce its decisionsenforce its decisions

It was designed It was designed to help countries to help countries talk about talk about problems and problems and solve them solve them DIPLOMATICALLY DIPLOMATICALLY instead of instead of MILITARILYMILITARILY

The league of The league of Nations main goal Nations main goal was to prevent was to prevent another world waranother world war

Did it work in your Did it work in your opinion?opinion?

The United States was the only major The United States was the only major country that didn’t join the League of country that didn’t join the League of NationsNations◦ Congress refused to ratify entry into the Congress refused to ratify entry into the

League League ◦ They feared being dragged into another They feared being dragged into another

global conflictglobal conflict◦ Ideas of pacifism and isolationism prevailedIdeas of pacifism and isolationism prevailed