WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE

p. 398-403

Objectives
Summarize Wilsons Fourteen Points
Describe the Treaty of Versailles and
international and domestic reactions to it
Explain some of the consequences of the war

WILSON PRESENTS HIS PLAN

Fourteen Points

1.

Delivered in front of Congress

2.
3.

Divided into 3 groups

4.

1st 5 Wilson believed they had to be

address to prevent another war
5.

Other 8 dealt with boundary changes

There should be no secret treaties

among nations
Freedom of the seas should be
maintained for all
Tariffs and other economic barriers
among nations should be lowered or
abolished in order to foster free trade
Arms should be reduced to the
lowest point consistent with domestic
safety, thus lessening the possibility of
military responses during diplomatic
crises
Colonial policies should consider the
interests of the colonial people as well
as the interests of the imperialist
powers

WILSON PRESENTS HIS PLAN

Fourteen Points (cont.)

League of Nations
Forum of nations to discuss and
settle their grievances without
having to resort to war

The Allies Reject Wilsons Plan

Georges
French Premier
Clemenceau

David Lloyd
George

British Prime Minister

Make Germany pay

Vittorio
Orlando

Italian Prime Minister

Austro-Hungarian land

WILSON PRESENTS HIS PLAN

The Allies Reject Wilsons Plan (cont.)
Central Powers were not included in the
negotiations
Nor Russia
Nor smaller countries
The Big Four
United States Wilson
Clemenceau France
George Great Britain
Orlando Italy

DEBATING THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Poland

Created 9
new nations

Czechoslovakia

Yugoslavia

Shifted
boundaries
Carved up
the Ottoman
Empire

Britain
France

Germany

Treaty of Versailles

Provisions of the Treaty

$33,000,000,000
in reparations

No air
force

No more than
a 100,000
man army

No more than
100,000 tons
in naval vessels

No
submarines

DEBATING THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

The Treatys Weaknesses

War-guilt clause
Humiliated Germany
Admit sole responsibility for the
war

The war debt was

unpayable
Would be paying it off until 2010
Stripped of profitable colonies

Took territory from

Russia (USSR)
Ignored Asian and
colonial rights
Sowed the seeds of
resentment

DEBATING THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

OPPOSITION TO THE TREATY

Too harsh
Economic backlash
Sell out to colonialism
Self rule not satisfied
Poland/Germany
The League of Nations

Debate Over the League of Nations

Threatened U.S.
isolationism
Joint economic and
military action
Congresss ability to
declare war

DEBATING THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Wilson Refuses to Compromise
American delegation has no
Republicans
3 week 8,000 miles 34 speeches

Ill health stroke

Senate fails to ratify the treaty in
1919 and 1920
1921 US signs a separate treaty
with Germany

THE LEGACY OF THE WAR

United States

Europe

a return to normalcy

Political instability
Rise of communism

US military and government had

became very powerful

Russia

Moved social advancements

Rise of fascism

Lasting fears/untrusting

Italy
Spain
Germany

What were Wilsons Fourteen Points?

Why did the Allies reject Wilsons peace plan?

What were the main provisions of the Treaty of

Versailles?
What were some weaknesses of the Treaty?
How did Americans react to the Treaty?
Why did the Americans disagree about the
League of Nations?

Why did Germany object to the Treaty of

Versailles?
How did the war affect Germany?
How did the war affect U.S. power and prestige
in the world?