Name ____________________________
Period ____________________________
Date _____________________________
A Flawed Peace
After reading pgs. 858-861 answer the following questions
1. Where was the meeting to work out the terms of the peace after WWI held, who were the Big Four, where were
they from and who was not represented. WHY?
Versailles
Big Four = Wilson of USA, Clemenceau of France, George of Britain, Orlando of Italy
Not represented – Russia (busy with revolution) and Germany and its allies (Losers)
Wilson’s goal of achieving a just peace differed from the peace objectives of France and Britain.
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1. What were the guiding
principles of Wilson’s
Fourteen Points?
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2. What were the concerns and
aims of France and Britain?
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Fourteen Points: plan by Wilson for achieving a just and lasting peace
Guiding idea: self-determination – letting people decide for themselves
under what government they wished to live
End to secret treaties, Freedom of the seas, free trade, reduced size of
armies and navies, adjusting colonial claims with fairness to colonial
peoples
14th Point – creating a “general association of nations” to peacefully
negotiate solutions to world conflicts
Concerned with national security
Wanted to strip Germany of war-making power
Not so interested in Wilson’s vision of peace
After heated debate and compromise, the Treaty of Versailles is signed.
3. In what ways did the treaty
punish Germany?
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4. How did the treaty change the
world map?
5. How was Wilson’s Fourteenth
Point incorporated into the
treaty?
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Treaty of Versailles – ended WW1
Germany lost substantial territory and had severe restrictions placed on its
military
Placed sole responsibility on Germany (war guilt)
As a result, Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies
All Germany’s colonies in Africa and Pacific declared mandates, or
territories to be managed by League of Nations until ready for
independence
Huge land losses for Central Powers
New countries created out of A-H Empire
Ottoman Turks had to give up all of empire except for present-day Turkey
Russia lost land; some of it became new independent nations
Treaty created the League of Nations whose goal was to keep peace
The legacy of Versailles was one of bitterness and loss.
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6. Why did the United States
reject the treaty?
Many Americans believed the US’ best hope for peace was to stay out of
European affairs
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Lacked support of US and then other world powers, it could not take action
on complaints
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War guilt clause left a legacy of bitterness and hatred in hearts of German
people
Africans and Asians in mandated territories felt their desire for
independence was ignored
Japan and Italy had entered war to gain territory, but gained less than they
wanted
7. How did this rejection affect
the League of Nations?
8. Why did many countries feel
bitter and cheated as a result
of the treaty?
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