The Versailles Peace Process
US History 2 AP
Mr. Melvin
Unit 4, Lesson 2
Wilson’s Peace Ideas
 Wilson sought a liberal peace (Popular in US and England)
 Advocated 4 principles
 International organization rather than alliances
 Arbitration rather than armaments
 Self-government amongst all people
 Avoid territory seizure and reparations demands
 1916-Wilson starts advocating League of Nations
 1917 – “Peace without victory”
Wilson’s Peace Ideas
 Assigns Colonel House and
experts to begin preparing
peace
 Peace aims:
 Remove Kaiser from power
in Germany
 Remove Germany’s power
over other countries
 Establish Democratic
government in Germany
 Free other ethnic groups still
under Central Powers’
control
Problem with Wilson’s Vision
 Underestimated role of power in world affairs
 Underestimated selfishness of nations
 Wilson didn’t exact any commitment from Allies for a liberal
peace during war
 US fought as an associate, not “ally”
 Enabled Allies to make secret agreements regarding peace
process during war, without US knowledge
 Russian revolution focused world on problems with peace
 November 1917 – Bolsheviks make separate peace with
Germany
 Exposed secret treaties Tsar previously had with Allies
Wilson’s 14 Points (Jan. 1918)
 Open Diplomacy
 Alsace-Lorriane back to
 Freedom of Seas
France
 Establish Poland as country
 Autonomy for ethnic
groups in Austria-Hungary
and Ottoman Empire
 Establishment of League of
Nations
 Arms Reduction
 Removal of trade barriers
 Arbitrate all colonial claims
 German evacuation of
Russian territory
 Restore Belgian
independence
14 Points
 Widespread opposition in
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Europe and US
Allied ambitions and
American Attitudes?
Still like protective tariffs
Resist international
involvement
Revenge against Germany!
Armistice
 October 1918 – Germany asks for Armistice based on 14
Points
 Stern enough to make Germany admit defeat, but also
charitable
 In order for armistice to occur, Wilson demands:
 Withdrawal of all German forces in invaded territory (October
23rd completed)
 Establishment of democratic government
 Kaiser abdicates on November 9, 1918
Allied Response
 Allies not fond of 14 Points
 Britain – want to control seas
 France – Germany to pay large reparations
 House threatens to make separate peace if 14 Points aren’t
included
 US agrees to have Germans surrender more territory
 Destroy larger amount of war materials
 Mainly U-Boats
1918 Midterm Elections
 Henry Cabot Lodge (leading Republican) orders party to
back off politics during peace and war process
 October 25 - Wilson makes election test of policies
 “Vote Democrat if you like what we’re doing”
 Made foreign policy even more of a partisan issue
 Result – Republicans take both houses
 November 11, 1918 – Armistice reached
 Wilson now face treaty approval and ratification by
Republican majority Senate
Treaty Negotiations
 Wilson chose to lead negotiations himself
 Appointed no influential Republican
 Robert Lansing, Colonel House, Tasker Bliss, Henry White
 Wilson also slighted public opinion
Press distrusted George Creel
Before meetings, Wilson said no secret meetings
Had to go along with European insistence for secret meetings
Lacked proper methods to communicate compromises to US citizens
Still believed solid peace can be achieved even with constant
bargaining
 Gave him hope when Europe greeted him with cheering crowds and
parades
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The Big Four
 Other delegates wanted their own goals to succeed:
 Nobuaki Makimo (Japan) – territory promised to them by
England
 Vittorio Orlando (Italy) – land promised to them by Allies
 David Lloyd George (England) – vast reparations
 Georges Clemenceau (France) – crush German power
 Problem for Wilson:
 Made secret treaties during war
 Armies controlled territory they wanted
Russia and Others
 Allies afraid of Bolsheviks – excluded them from peace
process
 British fighting with Anti-Bolsheviks still
 Revolution in Austria-Hungary
 Wilson’s “self-determination” led ethnicities to rise up
 Forming states whether peace talks allowed or not
 German problems – food shortages, Communist plots
 Germany excluded from peace as well
 Peace without victors????
League of Nations/Colonies
 Wilson wanted small neutral nations to be in charge of
former German colonies
 England & Japan other ideas – through previous secret treaty
 Wilson proposes mandate system:
 League of Nations countries serve as “foster parents” until ready
for independence
League of Nations
 Wilson met problems getting Allies to approve of League
 France – military alliances against Germany
 Japan – statement of racial equality and anti-discrimination
 France accepted League because it got what it wanted in
other areas of treaty
 Charter approved and reported to peace conference in
February 1919
League Charter
 Each country – 1 vote in Body of Delegates
 Executive Council = other house
 Reps from US, England, France, Italy, Japan + 4 other members
from Body of Delegates
 League decisions required unanimous vote (unless 1 EC
member involved in dispute)
 New members added by 2/3 BOD vote
 Amendment to charter by ¾ BOD vote
League Charter
 Established permanent secretariat, Bureau of Labor, and
mandate system
 Members submit disputes to Court of International Justice
for arbitration
 Breach of League – other members stop economic relations
with offender
 Council can recommend military force
 Most important – Article 10
 “Respect and preserve against external aggression on territorial integrity”
Pros and Cons of League
 Pros
 Cons
 Succeeded in setting up 1st
 League could only
international diplomatic
body
 Recognized that war is a
threat to ALL countries
recommend, not force
 What happens if country
disobeys League decision?
 Couldn’t bind Germany or
Russia to anything
 Not members
Wilson returns Home
 Met with opposition to League from different groups
 Republicans – avoid international entanglements
 German-Americans – too hard on Germany!
 Irish-Americans – Fight for Irish independence from
England!
 March 4, 1919 – Senator Lodge presented round robin of 37
Rep. Senators to Wilson (enough to veto)
 Complete treaty and League separately
 Wilson – condemns as selfish and ignorant
 Treaty and League are tied together
Return to Europe and Treaty
 Wilson knew treaty needed to be somewhat modified to
meet demands of American moderates
 Withdrawal procedures from League
 Optional mandate acceptance
 League couldn’t control domestic issues
 Immigration and Monroe Doctrine
But…
 When reopened treaty, Wilson opened up changes from
other delegates
 France insisted Germany be dismembered
 Poland and Czechoslovakia created on Germany’s east
 Creation of Rhenish buffer state (Germany’s west)
 France gains control of Saar Basin
 Wilson balks and almost threatens to leave
Compromise
 France compromises:
 Poland and Czechoslovakia created
 League conducts plebiscite to determine if Germany or Poland
owns Silesia
 Poland gains access to sea
 Leaves Germans under Polish rule
 France receives Alsasce-Lorraine from Germany
 League controls Saar – plebiscite after 15 years
 France occupies Rhineland for 15 years
 German army demilitarized
 England and US – treaty that would involve them if France
ever attacked in future
Other Compromises
 England and France want Germany to pay larger reparations
 Wilson compromises to include civilian costs and troop
pensions
 $120 billion in all
 War Guilt Clause also placed in treaty
 Placed full blame for war on Germany
 Makes Germans outraged!
Other Compromises
 Italy – insisted on gaining Fiume (Port in Adriatic)
 Took it when Allies didn’t support their claim
 Left Conference in rage, but signed treaty anyway that didn’t
give port to them
 Japan – wanted to further economic ambitions in China and
take over German sphere of influence
 Wilson caves
Final Treaty
Saar Basin under League control for 15 years (plebiscite
after)
2. US and GB guarantee France protection against future
German attacks
3. Adjustment of Italy’s northern border (includes old AH
territory)
4. Japan receives German Pacific Islands – mandate
1.
1.
5.
China outraged
Creation of new countries from AH and Germany- Poland
(sea corridor),Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Finland,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Final Treaty
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Plebiscite areas: Saar, Northern Poland, Silesia, AustriaHungary
German war guilt clause
France given Alsasce-Lorraine and 15 year occupation of
Rhineland
German military reduced
Reparation payments – 120 billion (included Allied
pensions)
Mandates – Syria (France), Iraq (GB), Jordan, Palestine,
and Saudi Arabia