1918 Armistice
November 11,1918
The Treaty of Versailles
An end to WWI or
the Beginning of WWII?
 When the war was over the peace talks
were held at the palace of Versailles
in France.
 European Leaders wanted to Punish
the Losers.
The only people at the Peace
Table were “The Big Four”
 Woodrow Wilson – USA
 David Lloyd George – Great Britain
 Georges Clemenceau – France
 Vittorio Orlando – Italy
 Germany, Austria-hungry and Russia
were not invited. 
Woodrow Wilson
David Lloyd George
Georges Clemenceau
Vittorio Orlando
(Left to right) The “Big Four”: David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio
Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of
the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty – 1918
 Allies split up all Germany’s Colonies.
 Germany lost much of its valuable
land.
 New countries, such as Poland and
Czechoslovakia, were created from the
Central Powers.
 Germany had to accept FULL blame
for WWI.
During
WWI
After the Peace Treaty
 The German army was reduced to
100,000 men.
 The draft was banned in Germany.
 Production of war goods was banned
in Germany.
 Germany was forced to pay
Reparations:
 Payments to the winners for the
“total cost” of the WWI.
 It was $33 billion!
 Which is approx. 52.8 trillion
today!!!
Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
 Wilson wanted to “reshape the
world” after WWI. Other leaders
were interested in enriching
themselves and punishing the
losers.
 Wilson was seen by other
leaders as preaching to the
world and self-righteous.
The 14 points (U.S peace aims)
 Freedom of the Seas
 Free Trade
 Limitations on armies
 End to secret alliances
 Right to Self-Rule (Democracy)
The League of Nations
 Wilson’s #1 objective at the Peace
Conference.
 It was the only thing he achieved there.
 It was a Gathering of Nations to discuss
and resolve problems instead of war.
The U.S. Senate does NOT sign the
Treaty of Versailles!
 Senate was worried it would bring
the U.S. into foreign wars.
 And that it would take away the
power of Congress to declare war.
 U.S. instead signed separate treaties
with each of the Central Powers.
 League or Nations goes into effect
without the U.S.
Treaty of Versailles Video Clips 2:20 &1:50