Unit I- US Political History Unit II - U.S. Foreign Policy History to WWII Ch. 21 Section 4 Losing the Peace 10th American History Unit II- U.S. Foreign Affairs Reading Quiz for Chapter 21 Sect. 4 1. What was the Versailles Treaty? 2. What was Wilson’s 14 Points? 3. What was the most poisonous provision of the Versailles Treaty that would lead to WWII? 4. What was the League of Nations? 5. What was the U.S. opposition to the Versailles Treaty? 6. What feature of the League of Nations was most opposed by Americans? 7. Name one of two Senators that opposed the League of Nations? 8. What happened to Wilson as he tried to directly appeal to the American people about the League of Nations? The Peace Conference in Paris 1918 Wilson 14 points- Wilson’s only purpose at the conference. Others were critical of Wilson- called him the Preacher of the world. To worried about all of mankind. God only has 10 commandments. Mistake- Wilson didn’t chose any Republicans or Senators to be on the American Peace Commission. The Big Four Prime Minister Lloyd George of Great Britain Premier Vittorio Orlando of Italy Premier Georges Clemenceau of France President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. The other three powers wanted as much land, wealth, and power for their countries as possible. The other three powers wanted German repayment for cost of war. The other three powers wanted to punish the enemies so they could never rise again. Versailles Treaty The Treaty ended up being not as selfish, vengeful or as noble as everyone had wanted. The Big Four The main terms of the Versailles Treaty were: (1) the surrender of all German colonies as League of Nations mandates; (2) the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France; (3) cession of Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, Memel to Lithuania, the Hultschin district to Czechoslovakia, (4) Poznania, parts of East Prussia and Upper Silesia to Poland; (5) Danzig to become a free city; (6) plebiscites to be held in northern Schleswig to settle the Danish-German frontier; (12) limitation of Germany's (7) occupation and special status for the Saar under army to 100,000 men with no French control (8) demilitarization and a fifteen-year occupation of the Rhineland; 9) German reparations of £6,600 million; (10) a ban on the union of Germany and Austria; (11) an acceptance of Germany's guilt in causing the war; (11) provision for the trial of the former Kaiser and other war leaders; conscription, no tanks, no heavy artillery, no poison-gas supplies, no aircraft and no airships; (13) the limitation of the German Navy to vessels under 100,000 tons, with no submarines; •REPARATIONS- Most poisonous provision of treaty. •Payments from Germans to “repair” all war damage. •British and French felt damages should include the total costs of war (everything). Sum so huge it could not be named, and the Germans would be paying for ever. •Germany signed the Versailles Treaty under protest. The USA Congress refused to ratify the treaty. Many people in France and Britain were angry that there was no trial of the Kaiser or the other war leaders League of Nations The League of Nations was an international organization created after the First World War. The Covenant establishing the League was part of the Treaty of Versailles. The aims of the League were to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security. The League of Nations was an association of states which had pledged themselves, through signing the Covenant not to go to war before submitting their disputes with each other, or states not members of the League, to arbitration or enquiry. The League of Nations formally came into existence on January 10, 1920. The two official languages of the League were English and French. The headquarters of the League was Geneva, Switzerland. The main organs of the League of Nations were the General Assembly, the Council and the Secretariat. The Council included four permanent members (Britain, France, Italy and Japan) and four (later nine) others elected by the General Assembly every three years. Armillary sphere, a symbol of the League of Nations, Opposition Wilson returns a hero. Senate needs to approve Versailles Treaty. Americans afraid of League of Nations and Article 10- each member promises to respect and preserve all the other members against “external aggression”. Threatens our independence. Senate leaders Borah and Lodge lead opposition. Lodge doesn’t trust Wilson Wison suffers stroke taking his appeal to the people. Wouldn’t work with Senator Lodge. Harding wins the election of 1920 and America never approves the Versailles Treaty or joins the League of Nations. William Borah Henry Cabot Lodge