Ch. 11, sect 4
The End of WWI
The end of WWI
Allies Stop German Advance
• Russia pulls out of war 1917 due to
Communist revolution; Germans shift armies to western front
•
– come within 50 miles of Paris
Americans help stop German advance, turn tide against Central Powers
The Collapse of Germany
• November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary surrenders
to Allies
–
German sailors, soldiers rebel; socialists establish German republic
• Kaiser gives up throne
• Germans exhausted; armistice, or truce, signed
November 11, 1918
The Final Toll
• World War I bloodiest war in history to date
–
–
more than half of 20 million dead are civilians
20 million more are wounded
• 10 million people become refugees
Wilson Fights for Peace
Fourteen Points - Wilson’s plan for world peace.
1–5 propose measures
a)
to prevent
another war, i.e. open treaties, freedom of the seas,
lower tariffs, arms reduction, consideration for colonies
6–13 dealt with boundary
b)
changes and
self-determination. Let them decide what nation
they want to belong.
14th calls for international
organization called the “League of
Nations”
c)
•
League to enable nations to discuss, settle problems without
war
Wilson speaks to US crowd
about League
The Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan
Big Four:
- wants to promote his 14 Points
but fails to grasp anger of Allied leaders against
Germany
1. Wilson
2.
Georges Clemenceau, French premier, wants
prevent another German invasion
to
3.
David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister, wants to
“Make Germany Pay”
4.
Vittorio Orlando, Italian Prime Minister, wants
Austrian-held territory
•
Conference excludes Central Powers,
Russia, small Allied nations
•
Wilson gives up most of his points in return for League of
Nations
Clemenceau
George
Orlando
Treaty of Versailles
Big Four and the leaders of the defeated nations gather to
sign the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919)
Treaty consisted of:
1.
Established 9 new nations – divide the
2.
Demilitarization – Germany was stripped of its
3.
Return of Alsace-Lorraine to
France – A section of land that separates France and
Ottoman Empire and placed under British and French
control
air force and most of its navy and reduced its army to
100,000 men.
Germany
Treaty of Versailles
4. Reparations (war
damages) – Germany must pay $33
billion to Allies.
5. War-guilt Clause – Germany
was forced to acknowledge that it alone was
responsible for the war.
“I can give him another injection. In the
state he’s in he won’t notice anything at
all.”
Treaty’s Weaknesses
1. Humiliated Germany –
forced to sign war-guilt clause
2. Reparations - Germany
cannot pay $33 billion in reparations
that Allies want
3. Russia loses more land
than Germany; territorial claims ignored
4. Colonized people’s claims for
self-determination
ignored
U.S. Debate over League of Nations
•
League threatens
U.S. foreign policy of
isolation
Some think
–
–
Wilson goes on speaking tour to convince
nation to support League
• has stroke, is temporarily disabled
Congress rejects amendments and does not
approve treaty
• U.S. never joins League, but
maintains an unofficial observer at League
meetings.
p401 [419] read “Point and Counterpoint”
Left-Side
“A New Look for Europe map”
1. Attach the map to the left-side.
2. Answer the corresponding questions and
tape over the map.