Wilson Fights for Peace

Chapter 11

Section 4

Wilson’s 14 Points

• 1. No secret treaties

• 2. Freedom of the seas

• 3. Tariffs lowered or abolished

• 4. Decrease in armaments

• 5. Colonial policies should take into account the interests of the colonized

Points 6-13

• 6-13: Deal with specific boundary changes

Point 14

• 14. Created the League of Nations

Allies Reject the Points

• France: wanted to weaken Germany to prevent another attack and keep their military strong to defend themselves

• Great Britain: Prime Minister won election with slogan “Make Germany Pay”

• Italy: Wanted control of Austrian territory

A Strange Peace Conference

• No Central Powers invited

• Russia and other allies not invited

• Big Four– Wilson: U.S.– Clemenceau: France– Lloyd George: Great Britain– Orlando: Italy

The Treaty of Versailles

• Signed June 28, 1919• Established nine new nations• Gave France and Great Britain mandates

in the Middle East• Demilitarized Germany• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France• $33 Billion in reparations• War guilt clause

Weaknesses of the Treaty

• 1. Humiliated Germany– Germany couldn’t pay reparations

• 2. Russians felt ignored– Lost more territory than Germany

• 3. Colonial issues dealt with poorly– Germany stripped of colonies it needed to pay

reparations– Ignored calls for independence from

Southeast Asia

Opposition to the Treaty

• Hoover and others felt it was too harsh

• Some saw it as a sell out to imperialism

• Ethnic groups upset over new boundaries

The League of Nations• Many felt it would draw U.S. into further war• Senate wanted to weaken it, but Wilson would not

back down• Senate refused to ratify Treaty of Versailles• U.S. signed a separate peace in 1921, never

joined the League

Pershing’s Fears

• Most Germans did not know they had been defeated

• Germans shocked by Armistice and angered by the Treaty

• Believed war would have to be fought again

Rise of Hitler

• German Economy destroyed

• Looking for scapegoats

• Hitler blamed Jews and socialists in the Weimar Republic

• Rose to power in 1933