PROBLEMS WITH THE TREATYHistory 12

THE BIG THREE

Britain - David Lloyd George France - Georges Clemenceau USA - Woodrow Wilson

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

The French wanted revenge Supported the War Guilt Clause, Military

restrictions, De-militarized Rhine Valley, Divided Germany and Austria and return of Alsace-Lorraine

Did not think the treaty went far enough wanted a buffer state between them and Germany

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

Britain wanted repayment but to keep Germany as economic partner Supported War Guilt Clause, military restrictions,

surrender of merchant fleet and mandates Thought that the 6.6 billion pounds in

reparations too high and would limit the ability of Germany to buy British goods

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

United States did not want to be involved in the affairs of Europe U.S. did not sign treaties so they were not

committed to enforce them U.S. senate turned down membership in League

of Nations and did not want their actions controlled by another country

Followed a policy of Isolationism U.S. insists allies repay their war loans

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

Italy storms out of conference Upset they were not being listened to and did

not get the land that was promised to them.

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

Germany enraged at Peace done to them. (Stabbed in the back) War Guilt clause 231 “The Allied and Associated

Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage which the Allied and Associated Governments and their national have been subjected to as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies”

Felt this was done to humiliate them and justify huge reparations

IT SATISFIED NO ONE

Germany was left economically crippled, militarily vulnerable and politically divided.

Germany people hated the new democratic German government – the Weimar Republic – for signing the treaty

SELF DETERMINATION

Wilson’s ideal of redrawing the map of Europe based on Self-Determination is a compromise at best. Not all ethnics live in tight communities Where to draw the border? Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Romania

force to sign treaties where their minorities would not be treated equal

WHAT BECAME OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY?

It turned into: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland

As a result infrastructure collapsed Economic systems collapsed The Big Three would not allow free trade

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

U.S. votes not to join as they don’t want to be involved

Germany not allowed to join as they can’t be trusted Russia not allowed to join as no one recognizes the new

communist government This leaves Britain and France as the only “great”

powers in the league and they were tired from fighting

BUT FINALLY PEACE

No. The poles and Czechs fought over territory

The Polish army attacked Russia and got land back

The French invade the Ruhr No one really believed in the fairness of the

treaty