Transcript The Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles, France
The Paris Peace Conference:
Terms and Conditions of German
Surrender
Canada at the Conference
Prime Minister Robert
Borden demanded
that Canada be
represented at this
conference as a
separate nation – the
world recognized
Canada’s major
contribution to the war
effort.
Robert Borden
“The Big Four” at the Paris Peace
Conference
The main decisions
were made by
France, America,
and Great Britain.
The Treaty was
designed to
weaken Germany
so that it could not
wage another war.
From left to right: David Lloyd
George (Britain), Vittorio Orlando
(Italy), Georges Clemenceau
(France), and Woodrow Wilson
(United States of America)
Terms of the Treaty: Military
Germany gave up
most of its weapons,
ships, u-boats, and
was forced to limit its
army to 100 000
soldiers.
Terms: Territory
Germany lost
large amounts of
territory to
France, Poland,
Czechoslovakia
and Austria. The
map of Europe
was re-drawn.
The “War Guilt Clause”
Germany was forced
to accept total and
sole responsibility
for causing the war.
This was seen by the
Germans as a
national humiliation
and made them very
angry.
Reparation Payments
Germany would have
to pay $33 billion in
reparations for the
damage the war had
done.
German territory had
been totally immune
from damage, while
large areas of France
and Belgium had
been devastated.
George Edmund Butler's painting
Zonnebeke (completed about
1918) captures the devastated
Belgian landscape in the
aftermath of the great battles of
1917.
Reactions to the Treaty of
Versailles - Germany
German representatives were shocked,
and at first refused to sign. The Allies
threatened to re-start the war, and resume
a naval blockade on materials entering
Germany. So Germany signed the treaty
–but they weren’t happy about it!
Reactions…Canada
Prime Minister Robert
Borden admitted the
Treaty was harsh, but
believed it should be
harsh. Britain’s
general view was the
same.
Canadian Prime Minister
Sir Robert Borden
Reactions…America
President Woodrow
Wilson argued for a
policy of forgiveness
toward the defeated
nations, but had little
power because
America joined the
war so late.
American President:
Woodrow Wilson
Reactions…France
French negotiators
wanted to be sure
that Germany would
never again be a
threat – they wanted
an ever tougher
treaty.
Georges Clemenceau –
President of France
Consequences of the Treaty
French General in Chief of
Allied Armies commented
on the Treaty…
“This is not a peace treaty; it
is an armistice of 20
years.”
He was right: Adolf Hitler
started World War II just
20 years and one month
later.
Source: DesRivieres, Denis, et al. Experience History:
Canada Since WWI. Don Mills: Oxford University
Press, 2006.
Adolf Hitler