On November 11 1918 the First World War ended.

How had the war affected Britain?

• 750,000 British soldiers had been killed, many more were wounded or even disabled.

• The war had cost Britain £9 billion pounds. At the end of the war it was costing the country £16 million per day.

• The war had devastated the British economy and Britain’s position as the richest nation in the world had been lost. We had lost many of our world trade markets

• Local communities were devastated.

What did the British Public think we should do about Germany?

• What kinds of things do you think the British public and our newspapers were saying about Germany?

• Write 3 slogans.

Slogans being used at the time“Hang the Kaiser”

“Squeeze Germany until the pips squeak”

“We want REVENGE”

“NEVER AGAIN”

“This MUST be the war to END all wars”

“Make Germany Pay”

“It’s all Germany’s fault”

“The Huns killed my sons”

“Something good must come out of this”

“The Germans must be punished”

Speech by David Lloyd George

• The Prime Minister David Lloyd George had decided that a general election should be called to decide which party should run Britain and help us to recover after the war.

• What do you think he would have said in order to win the votes of the British people?

Write his speech.

What are the risks in punishing Germany too harshly?

• GERMANY WOULD WANT REVENGE

• OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BE ANNOYED WITH US

• GERMANY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRADE WITH BRITAIN

Lloyd George won the election in 1918, having made promises, to

treat Germany harshly. • BUT – he knew the risks of doing so.

• Imagine you are Lloyd George on the way to Paris for the conference that will decide what to do with Germany. Write what you think he would have been thinking.