STANDARD(S): 11.4 Students trace
the rise of the United States to its role as
a world power in the twentieth century.
LESSON OBJECTIVES/ GOALS/ SWBAT
1. Summarize Wilson’s Fourteen Points
2. Describe the Treaty of Versailles and
international and domestic reaction to it.
3. Explain some of the consequences of the war.
Section 4
Wilson Fights for Peace
European leaders oppose most of Wilson’s
peace plan, and the U.S. Senate fails to ratify the
peace treaty.
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SECTION
4
Wilson Fights for Peace
Wilson Presents His Plan
Fourteen Points
• Wilson’s plan for world peace known as Fourteen
Points
• Points 1–5 propose measures to prevent another war
• 6–13 address how ethnic groups can form own
nations or join others
• 14 calls for international organization or League
of Nations
• League to enable nations to discuss, settle problems
without war
Continued . . .
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SECTION 4: WILSON FIGHTS
FOR PEACE
 Despite the hero’s welcome he received in Europe,
Wilson’s plan for peace would be rejected by the Allies
 Wilson’s plan was called the “Fourteen points”
 Included in his “points” were:
 No secret treaties
 Freedom of the Seas
 More free trade
 Reduction of arms
 Less colonialism
 League of Nations to promote peace
Guided Reading:
• What Were Wilson’s points?
1. Open Treaties
2. Freedom of the seas
3. Tariffs lowered or abolished to
encourage free trade
4. Arms reduction
5. Consideration of the interest of colonial
people
SECTION
4
continued
Wilson Presents His Plan
The Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan
• Wilson fails to grasp anger of Allied leaders against
Germany
• French premier Georges Clemenceau wants to
prevent German invasion
• British Prime Minister David Lloyd George wants to
“Make Germany Pay”
• Italian Vittorio Orlando wants Austrian-held territory
• Conference excludes Central Powers, Russia, small
Allied nations
• Wilson gives up most of his points in return for
League of Nations
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ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S
PLAN, SIGN TREATY
 The Big Four leaders,
Wilson (U.S.),
Clemenceau (France),
Lloyd George
(England), and
Orlando (Italy),
worked out the Treaty’s
details
ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S
PLAN, SIGN TREATY
Wilson conceded
on most of his 14
points in return for
the establishment
of the League of
Nations
ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S
PLAN, SIGN TREATY
On June 28, 1919,
the Big Four and the
leaders of the
defeated nations
gathered in the Hall
of Mirrors at
Versailles and signed
the Treaty of
Versailles
Guided Reading:
• What Were Wilson’s points? (CONT)
6-13. Boundary changes and self
determination of ethnic/national groups.
14. A League of Nations
Chapter 11 Section 4
• A – Why did the Allies reject Wilson’s
plan?
– Clemenceau was determined to prevent
another German invasion of France
– Allied leaders were all angry at Germany
SECTION
4
Debating the Treaty of Versailles
Provisions of the Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles creates 9 new nations, British,
French mandates
• Places various conditions on Germany:
- cannot have an army
- Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
- pay reparations, or war damages
Continued . . .
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The Treaty of Versailles
The principal items are:
•Germany has to cede Alsace-Lorraine to France.
•Germany has to cede the coal mines in the Saar-area to France.
•Germany has to cede an area with Moresnet, Eupen, Malmédy and St. Vith to Belgium.
•Germany has to cede the main part of West-Prussia and almost the whole province of Posen to the new state
of Poland.
•Germany has to cede all colonies: Togo en Cameroun, the territories in East- and South-West Africa, islands
in the Pacific and possesions in China.
•All German properties in foreign countries are confiscated.
•Germany has to cede al war material to the allies.
•German compulsory military service is abolished, as well as the General Staff.
•Germany is not allowed to have tanks, airplanes, submarines, large warships and poison gas.
•During 15 years Germany is not allowed to station troops on the left border of the river Rhine and in a 50 km
strip on the right border of the Rhine.
•The total size of the Germany army is not to exceed 100.000 men.
•The German navy has a maximum of 15.000 men.
•Germany is allowed a total of 4.000 officers.
•Germany is not to take part in the League of Nations.
•Austria has to cede South-Tirol to Italy.
•Turkye has to cede all foreign possesions. England gets Iraq, Palestine and Trans-Jordan, France gets Syria
and Libanon.
•Germany has to cede to the allies all seagoing ships with a carrying capacity exceeding 1600 Brt, plus half of
all ships between 1000 and 1600 Brt. Furthermore one fourth of the fishing fleet and two fifths of the inland
navigation fleet has to be ceded.
•Germany has to cede large amounts of machinery and building materials, trains and trucks.
•Germany has to deliver certain amounts of coal, chemicals, dye and fuel for many years.
•All German subocean telegraph cables are confiscated.
•Germany has to pay 20 billion goldmarks.
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
The Treaty established nine
new nations including;
 Poland, Czechoslovakia, and
Yugoslavia
 The Treaty broke up the
Austro-Hungarian Empire and
the Ottoman Empire empires
 The Treaty barred Germany
from maintaining an army,
required them to give AlsaceLorraine back to France, and
forced them to pay $33 billion
in reparations to the Allies
The Big Four met at Versailles
Guided Reading:
15. What terms of the treaty specifically
affected Germany?
– Demilitarization:
– Return of territory (Alsace-Lorraine) to
France
– $33 Billion in reparations
– War-Guilt clause
• B – How did the Treaty of Versailles affect
Germany?
– The treaty forced Germany to assume sole
responsibility for the starting World War I;
– It forced Germany to pay huge war
reparations and stripped it of its colonial
possessions.
SECTION
4
continued
Debating the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty’s Weaknesses
• War-guilt clause—Germany must accept sole
responsibility for war
• Germany cannot pay $33 billion in reparations that
Allies want
• Russia loses more land than Germany; territorial
claims ignored
• Colonized people’s claims for self-determination
ignored
Continued . . .
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THE WEAKNESS OF
THE TREATY
The harsh treatment of
Germany prevented the
Treaty from creating a
lasting peace in Europe
 The Treaty humiliated
the Germans by forcing
them to admit sole
responsibility for the war
(War-Guilt Clause)
Germans felt the Versailles
Treaty was unfair
THE WEAKNESS OF THE
TREATY
Furthermore,
Germany
would never
be able to pay
$33 billion in
reparations
Germans felt the Versailles Treaty was unfair
Guided Reading:
16. What where the weaknesses of the
treaty?
– Humiliated Germany
– Set reparations that Germany could not
possibly pay
– Stripped Germany of the colonies it needed to
pay reparations
– Ignored the claims of colonized peoples self
determination
– Ignored the sacrifices and desires of Russia
– Set Germans against the treaty
SECTION
4
continued
Debating the Treaty of Versailles
Opposition to the Treaty
• Strong opposition to treaty in U.S.
• Some, like Hoover, think treaty too harsh, fear
economic effects
• Some feel treaty exchanged one group of colonial
rulers for another
• Some ethnic groups not satisfied with new
national borders
Continued . . .
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DEBATE OVER TREATY AT
HOME
 In the United States, the Treaty
was hotly debated especially the
League of Nations
 Conservative senators, headed
by Henry Cabot Lodge, were
suspicious of the Leagues’ joint
economic and military
commitments
 Many wanted the U.S. Congress
to maintain the right to declare war
 Ultimately, Congress rejected
U.S. involvement in the very
League the U.S. President had
created
The U.S. never did join the league
SECTION
4
continued
Debating the Treaty of Versailles
Debate over the League of Nations
• Some think League threatens U.S. foreign policy
of isolation
• Senators like Henry Cabot Lodge mistrust
provision for joint action
Continued . . .
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US SENATE & the TREATY
• The Treaty of
Versailles is
rejected by the
U.S. Senate
and America
has to sign a
separate treaty
with Germany
in 1920
Guided Reading:
17. Why did Henry Cabot
Lodge object to the
treaty?
– Suspicious of the
provision for joint action
against aggression;
– Wanted the treaty to
declare the constitutional
right of Congress to
declare war.
SECTION
4
continued
Debating the Treaty of Versailles
Wilson Refuses to Compromise
• Wilson ignores Republicans in Senate when
choosing U. S. delegation
• Goes on speaking tour to convince nation to
support League
- has stroke, is temporarily disabled
• November 1919, Lodge introduces amendments to
treaty
- amendments, treaty rejected
• Wilson refuses to compromise
• March 1920, 2nd vote: neither amendments nor
treaty approved
• U.S., Germany sign separate treaty; U.S. never
joins League
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Guided Reading:
18. How did Wilson
help bring about the
Senate’s rejection of
the treaty?
– Wilson chose an
American delegation
that failed to include
enough Republicans
and Senators;
– Refused to
compromise with
Lodge
SECTION
4
The Legacy of the War
Consequences of the War
• In U.S., war strengthens military, increases power of
government
• Accelerates social change for African Americans,
women
• Fears, antagonisms provoked by propaganda remain
• In Europe, destruction, loss of life damage social,
political systems
- Communist, fascist governments form
• Treaty of Versailles does not settle conflicts in Europe
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THE LEGACY OF WWI
 At home, the war strengthened
both the military and the power of
the government
 The propaganda campaign
provoked powerful fears in society
 For many countries the war
created political instability and
violence that lasted for years
 Russia established the first
Communist state during the war
WWI 1914-1918
22 million dead, more than half
civilians. An additional 20 million
wounded.
 Americans called World War I,
“The War to end all Wars” --however unresolved issues would
eventually drag the U.S. into an
even deadlier conflict
THE LEGACY OF WWI
 At home, the war strengthened both
the military and the power of the
government
 The propaganda campaign provoked
powerful fears in society
 For many countries the war created
political instability and violence that
lasted for years
THE LEGACY OF WWI
Russia
established
the first
Communist
state during
the war
THE LEGACY OF WWI
Americans called
World War I, “The
War to end all
Wars” --- however
unresolved issues
would eventually
drag the U.S. into
an even deadlier
conflict
Guided Reading:
19. What circumstances at this time
would eventually lead many
Germans to support Adolf Hitler?
– Political instability ad violence
– Resentment over Germany’s
treatment by the allies
• C – Why were some people afraid of the
treaty’s influence over American foreign
policy?
– It was feared that US membership in the
League would force the US to shape its
foreign policy in accord with the League.