WILSON’S FOURTEEN POINTS AND THE TREATY OF
VERSAILLES
World War I became a crusade in the U.S.
It was considered to be the “War to end all wars” and the war to make the world safe for democracy.
Wilson proposed Fourteen Points as the model for peace.
The purpose of the model was to prevent further wars by eliminating the causes of war.
Some of the Fourteen Points were:
No secret treaties, treaties should be open and openly arrived at.
Freedom of the seas.
Removal of economic barriers such as tariffs.
Reduction of armaments.
Settle colonial claims.
Freedom for European national groups (have own nation).
A League of Nations would be established.
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The
Big Four dominated the Treaty of Versailles.
The
Big Four representatives were:
Woodrow Wilson of the U.S.
David Lloyd George of Great Britain.
Clemenceau of France.
Orlando of Italy.


Other
Big Four members (Italy, France, and Great Britain) did not go along with the Fourteen
Points even though they pretended to. It was against their national interest.
Germany
The
and Russia were not represented at the Treaty of Versailles which made them bitter.
Treaty of Versailles (Peace of Paris, 1919)
Germany was to accept the blame for the war and pay reparations ($33 billion), and they could
have no navy, air force, and a very small army.
Land was taken away from Germany, and all of her colonies were taken away.
New countries were created in Europe from territories that were taken away from Russia,
Germany, and Austria-Hungary and these new countries included Finland, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Baltic States.
A mandate system was set up take care of former Turkish and German colonies:
The Middle Eastern Turkish lands were given to Great Britain and France (this included among others
present day Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel).
Great Britain received Germany’s African colonies.

Japan and the U.S. received many of the German islands in the Pacific.

The League of Nations was created.
Immediate results of the Treaty of Versailles.
Wilson had to give up all of his Fourteen Points to get the League of Nations as a part of the treaty.
Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union were extremely upset with the Treaty of Versailles.