Transcript League of Nations created

The “war to end all wars” ends
How World War I Comes to an End?
1917: Russia signs the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with
Germany pulling out of the war. Russia gave up large
territories of land to Germany - Finland, Poland,
Ukraine, and the Baltic States.
Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies in November of
1917.
Germany loses the Western Front
•The help of the eager-for-action U.S. doughboys against the
low-morale German troops forced them to surrender to end
the war on 11/11/18 – Armistice Day.
Alsace and Lorraine
BACK
War Deaths by Country
Results of the War
• After 4 years of fighting front lines remain stationary.
• Very high casualty rates.
– British
• 885,138 soldiers killed, 1,663,435 soldiers wounded
– French
• 1,397,800 soldiers killed, 4,266,000 soldiers wounded
– Italy
• 651,010 soldiers killed, 953,886 soldiers wounded
– United States
• 116,708 soldiers killed, 205,690 soldiers wounded
– Germany
• 2,050897 soldiers killed, 4,247,143 soldiers wounded
– Overall Casualties
• 8 million killed, 21 million wounded, 3.6 million missing in action (presumed dead); numbers
vary
GRAND TOTAL: most estimates end around 37 MILLION
PEOPLE (soldier and civilian) killed, wounded, or missing
• Population of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina today: Between 16 and 18
million.
Background
• Fighting ends on
November 11, 1918 with
signing of an armistice (A
temporary suspension of
hostilities by agreement
between opponents, a
truce).
• Allies gather at Versailles
in January to begin peace
negotiations.
– Central Powers not invited
• Negotiations took 6
months.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
A plan drawn up by W.Wilson that included 14 specific strategies for
ending the war and making peace.
• Was very lenient on conquered countries.
• Wanted to establish a League of Nations to oversee and
enforce the terms of surrender.
1. It would be an international organization with the purpose of preserving
peace throughout the world.
2. Every nation would have an equal vote.
3. Every nation in the world would be a member, and each nation would
have an equal vote.
4. Any controversy within the League would be turned over to the Central
Council: France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the U.S., and five small nations.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Paris Peace Conference
(Versailles, 1919)
“Peace without Victory”
G Britain/France want heavy
reparations for Germany
1
No secret treaties
No
2
Freedom of the seas
No
3
Free trade
No
4
Reduction of military arms
No
5
End colonization/imperialism
No
14
League of Nations
Established (Wilson would
not compromise on this)
The Big Four
• David Lloyd George of
Britain
• Vitorio Orlando of Italy
• Georges Clemenceau of
France
• Woodrow Wilson of the
United States
Conflicting Interests
• David Lloyd George
– Supports reparations
from Germany
– Supports naval blockade
of German ports
– Supports secret treaties
– Wants to maintain the
British Empire
– Wants to make sure
Germany becomes a
major trade partner with
Britain
Georges Clemenceau
• Sought revenge against
Germany
– Wanted to permanently
cripple the military and
economy
– Wanted to reduce size of
German military
– Ban pre-war politicians from
seeking office
– Sought to blockade ports in
order to control trade
– Wanted control of factories
and resources in Ruhr Valley.
– Wanted the Germans to pay
for all damages during the
war
Woodrow Wilson
• Sought to end secret
treaties
• Wanted to create a
“League of Nations.”
• Wanted all nations to
reduce sizes of military
• “self-determination”
– People of same nationality
should be allowed to
govern themselves.
– Sought to eliminate the
problem of nationalism
6 months later…
• Versailles Treaty eventually agreed upon by allies
• Very harsh terms against Germany
– Forced to accept sole responsibility for the entire war.
– Forced to pay reparations to allies
• Estimated at around $33 billion in modern currency
• Also paid for with coal, steel, and agricultural products to
avoid hyperinflation
– German Emperor Wilhelm II accused of war crimes
along with many other officials
Territorial Restrictions
• Loses 13% of it’s territory.
• Results in the loss of
almost 20% of coalfields
– Many placed under the
direct control of France
• Loses half of its iron and
steel industry
• Loses all overseas
colonies in Africa and Asia
• Annexation of other
countries prohibited.
Military Restrictions
• Restricted to 100000 men
• Manufacturing,
importing, and exporting
weapons prohibited.
• Tanks, artillery, poison
gas, military aircraft, and
submarines prohibited.
• The creation of an air
force prohibited
• Navy limited to 15000
sailors, 6 battleships, and
no submarines
Consequences for the rest of Europe
• Germans resent provisions of treaty.
– Leads to inflation and debt in Germany, eventually
contributes to Great Depression.
• Many new nations created, or old nations freed due to
Wilson’s “self-determination” provisions in the treaty.
– Austro-Hungarian Empire broken up
• League of Nations created
– Responsible for the administration of many territories
through a system of mandates
• Territories governed by nations belonging to League of Nations
– For instance, France and Britain
• Mandates to be given independence when local government ready
for independence (will not be enforced)
Treaty of Versailles
• Wilson would negotiate the treaty in Paris without much input from the
new majority Republican Congress.
• France and Britain would not approve most of Wilson’s 14 Points. They
felt that they were too lenient.
• The League of Nations was approved to enforce the terms of the
surrender.
• It was signed in Paris, France on June 28, 1919 officially ending WWI.
• The U.S. Congress did not approve of the treaty or the League of
Nations, so they refused to sign it. Why? Because they felt that it did not
benefit the U.S.
1. A group of thirty-nine Republican senators led by Henry Cabot Lodge
opposed the League of Nations, citing several flaws in its structure.
- Reservationists (Lodge) - willing to pass the treaty if changes are made.
- Irreconcilables - no treaty, no way!
2. The Senators believed that the U.S. should remain “isolationist” after the war.
3. In March of 1920, the Senate defeated the vote for approval of the Treaty
of Versailles and the League of Nations.
Reasons Why?
- Upset with Wilson for not including them in making the treaty.
- Fear of involvement on war without Congressional declaration of war.
- Fear of foreign control of military decision-making.
- Questioned using “War to prevent War.”
- The refusal of Wilson to compromise on Article X (ten) - it made
members promise to protect each other’s territorial integrity against
aggressors. Congressmen did not want to be pulled into foreign conflicts.
Results of the Treaty of Versailles
A. Kaiser Wilhelm II (German leader) was forced to give up his throne and
he fled to Holland for the next 23 years.
B. Germany had to pay back $33 Billion in war reparations.
C. Germany had to break up all Alliances with other countries.
D. Germany had to admit to a “Guilt Clause.”
E. Created a League of Nations.
F. Italy gained very little, refused to sign a treaty.
G. Germany establishes a Republican form of government.
The Ottoman Empire under League of
Nations mandates
• Many new states created,
supposedly based on
nationality.
• Placed under the
protection of European
nations until they were
ready for independence
– Syria under French control
– Iraq and Palestine under
British control
• New nation of Turkey
created.
British reactions to treaty
• Britain gained some German colonies and the
German navy was destroyed but:
– Lloyd George thought the treaty was too harsh,
saying: "We shall have to fight another war
again in 25 years time.“
– The British diplomat Harold Nicolson called it:
"neither just nor wise" and the people who made
it: "stupid".
– The economist John Maynard Keynes prophesied
that reparations would ruin the economy of
Europe.
French reactions to treaty
• French Reactions to the Treaty
– France got Alsace-Lorraine, German colonies,
harsh reparations and a tiny German army but:
• Many French people wanted an independent,
not a demilitarized, Rhineland.
• Most French people did not think the League of
Nations would protect them against Germany.
American reaction to Versailles Treaty
• Woodrow Wilson got the League of Nations, and new
nation-states were set up in Eastern Europe but:
– Wilson thought the treaty was far too harsh.
– Self-determination proved impossible to
implement -Example: Yugoslavia did not survive as
a united country, and Czechoslovakia was annexed
in stages by the Nazis in 1938 and 1939.
– Many Americans did not want to get involved in
Europe, and in 1920 the American Senate refused
to sign the Treaty of Versailles, or join the League
of Nations.
Map Changes In Europe
9 New Nations Created:
Nations formed out of Russian Lands
1. Finland
2. Estonia 3. Latvia 4. Lithuania 5. Poland
Nations formed from Austria-Hungary
1. Czechoslovakia 2. Yugoslavia 3. Austria-Hungary split
From Germany
1. Lost all conquered territories
2. Gave Alsace-Lorraine back to France.