SSWH16.C
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Great Britain – Prime Minister Lloyd George

France – Prime Minister Clemenceau

Italy – Prime Minister Orlando

United States – President Woodrow Wilson

These leaders became known as the “Big Four.”

National Security
 1.5 Million military loses
 400,000 civilian casualties
 Needed $ to rebuild the
French economy
Recovery of land taken
by Germany after the
Franco-Prussian War in
1871.
 French security = a
powerless Germany

Prime Minister Lloyd George had
won his election by vowing to take
a very hard line against Germany,
but once the conference started he
was mainly concerned with
reaching agreements that would
work (for England).
 Lloyd George was concerned that
being too tough on Germany might
open the door for the spread of
Communism into Europe.


“New Diplomacy”
 Develop a super-national
organization for
diplomacy
The positions of
Woodrow Wilson were
also supported by the
Italians.


Wilson’s 14 Points
Article 227 – deposed German Emperor Wilhelm II is
charged with acts against “international morality.”
He is to be tried as a war criminal.

Article 231 – “War Guilt Clause,” states that
Germany is entirely responsible for the outbreak of
the Great War. All damage to the Entente powers
became a German responsibility.

German army reduced to n6 o more than 100,000
men


German Navy Limitations:




No more than 15,000 sailors
6 battleships (no more than 10,000 tons displacement each)
6 cruisers (no more than 6,000 tons each)
6 destroyers

No air force

No tanks
The Inter-Allied Reparations Commission
determined that Germany owed damages in the
amount of 226 billion Marks (around $50 million)

Some estimates have stated that it would have
taken Germany until 1988 to pay this amount. One
German author has guessed it would have actually
taken until 2020.

It was to be paid in money, coal, steel, crops, ships,
and other industrial goods.

In France – Clemenceau was voted out of office for
failing to meet all the demands made by the angry
French public. (General Foch’s opinion was that the
Treaty was, “not a peace. It is an Armistice for 20
years.”)

In America – Wilson had lost the support of the
American people. They were tired of being involved
in Europe.


It was a compromise.

One side wanted Germany destroyed.
The other wanted Germany to be stable enough to
hold back the tide of communism.

The result was that Germany still existed, but it was
hopelessly poor, weak, and bitter. This would come
back to haunt the world.
