Assessment of the Paris
Peace Conference
By: Gaby DaSilva, Bianca Marius, Toni Martin, Gina Milito
Historical Views on the Paris Peace Conference
Sally Marks, author of The Illusion of Peace:
International Relations in Europe 1918-1933
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the defeat of Germany in war caused a big shock from the allies and
the progress to the road for peace wasn't nearly close to being
effective
France was the closest country to being best prepared ‘for the
matter of peace’
The French were more concerned for their behalf and knew what to
be concerned about for their country, disregarding the matters on a
global scale.
The implantation of the Fourteen Points, created by Woodrow
Wilson, was ideally a good idea, but was too complex to efficiently
work for all nations.
The League of Nations was, from the start, a failure, and only spread
false hope that could not be achieved
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The location for the Peace Conference was a
poor decision
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high passion for war by the people
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suffered 4 harsh years in the war and
was not in the condition to serve
leaders from other nations
W.M. Jordan, author of Great Britain, France, and the German Problem 1918-1939
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Jordan debates that "the idealism which inspired the Allied cause in the Great
War of 1914-1918 was, in the first instance, the achievement of British
Liberalism." This war was carelessly a war for democracy.
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He presented the idea that the war was not directed at the German people, but
rather at the Prussian military. The war was meant to liberate nations and
become a war to end war.
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Jordon records President Wilson illness played a part in changing the speed of
the conference. Lloyd George began to lose hope for a quick resolution after
Wilson became ill and was not able to participate in the Council of Four.
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As a result of the Treaty of Versailles "France is now left to bear alone the brunt
of German resentment. She must insist on the payment or reparation; she must
protect the new settlement against disturbance by Germany."
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The Treaty was "incompatible with the economic prosperity of Europe.”
Reaction to the Paris Peace Conference
Britain
Britain gained some of Germany’s colonies and the German navy
was destroyed, but:
1.
saying: "We shall have to fight another war again in
2.
1.
Wilson thought the treaty was far too harsh.
2.
Self-determination proved impossible to implement -
WWII
neither Czechoslovakia or Yugoslavia survived as
The British diplomat Harold Nicolson called it: "neither
just nor wise" and the people who made it: "stupid".
3.
Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations was officially created, and new
nation-states were ratified in Europe, but:
Lloyd George thought the treaty was too harsh,
25 years time."
America
The economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that
united countries.
3.
Europe, and in 1920 the American Senate refused to
reparations would ruin the economy of Europe. The
sign the Treaty of Versailles, or join the League of
limits on Germany would also go on to greatly impact
British commerce, as Germany was a large buyer of
Britain’s goods.
4.
The general opinion in Britain was that the terms
Many Americans did not want to get involved in
Nations.
4.
NO LEAGUE!
In the USA reactions to the Treaty were generally negative.
Many Americans felt that the Treaty was unfair on Germany.
More importantly, they felt that Britain and France were
were fair and should probably have been more
making themselves rich at Germany's expense and that the
severe (?!) British newspapers suggested that
USA should not be helping them to do this. The political
Germany would no longer threaten world peace.
divide that result was mainly caused by political parties and,
inevitably, the war treaty.
Reaction to the Paris Peace Conference
France
France got Alsace-Lorraine, German colonies, harsh reparations and
!
Part 2
A. Colonel House, Wilson’s advisor: “I should
have preferred a different peace.”
a tiny German army but:
1.
Many French people wanted an independent, not a
demilitarised, Rhineland.
2.
Many French people did not think the League of
Nations would protect them against Germany.
EVIL
B. Lloyd George: “A stern but just peace.”
C. Clemenceau: “ It’s okay.”
D. Marshall Foch: “This isn’t a peace; it’s an
armistice for twenty years.”
How Some Countries Benefit from the Paris Peace Treaty
America
1.
2.
3.
The signing of the treaty put an end to
the Spanish-American War causing the U.
S. to obtain its first overseas empire.
The signing of the treaty ended the war
of independence and gave the thirteen
colonies political freedom.
After the signing of the treaty,
Britain recognized American
independence. Then U.S. now gained
territory from the Atlantic Ocean to
the Mississippi River in the west, and
from the Great Lakes and Canada to the
31st parallel in the south.
France
1.
France got back the Alsace-Lorraine
area from Germany.
2.
In the treaty Germany received some of
the harsh treatment France wanted to inflict
upon them.(disarmement)
Britain
1.
2.
In terms of the Treaty France had to
give up all its territories in North
America which stopped the threat of any
foreign military threat to the British
colonies.
The Treaty put an end to the seven
years war with France which is what
Britain wanted because it was very
expensive, and the government had to
pay off the war with debt.
3.
When Germany had to give up 10% of its
land the Saarland was given to the League of
Nation. Now France could exploit the area’s
economic resources.
4.
55% of reparations are to be paid to
France.
How Some Countries didn’t benefit from the Paris
Peace
Treaty
Russia
Germany
1.
2.
3.
Germany’s army was limited.(limited navy, no air
force, 100,000 man army).
Germany loses alot of land. Ex: all of her overseas
colonies. The colonies in Africa are given to Britain
and France. The colonies in the Pacific are given to
Japan.
Germany hap to pay about 33 billion dollars in debt.
1.
The soviet union felt bitter towards the League
after being left out.
Italy
1.
Italy is upset because they didn’t get the port city
Fiume and is now bitter towards America, Britain, and
France.
Austria-Hungary
France
1.
Austria-Hungary is split into two.
1.
2.
Austria and Hungary have no control over the
Balkans because it split up into separate nations.
Germany didn’t get all of the harsh punishment
that France had wanted.
Sources
htthttp://revolutionarywar5.weebly.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-british-and-americans.html
p://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/opinionsrev1.shtml (Slides 2-3)
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/greatwar/g5/cs2/background.htm#2 (Slides 2-3)
http://ezinearticles.com/?Historiography-of-the-Peace-Conference-of-1919-and-Surrounding-Events&id=1579492
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/treaty-of-paris
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/treaty-of-paris-ends-spanish-american-war
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Treaty_of_Paris.aspx
http://www.historytoday.com/alan-sharp/big-four-peacemaking-paris-1919
legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
www.quora.com
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/1565_01.pdf