- No secret treaties
- Free access to the sea for all
- Disarmament by all countries
- Free trade between countries
- Colonies to have a say in their own future
- Russia to be free of German troops
- Belgium to be independent
- Alsace Lorraine to go to France
- New frontier between Austria and Italy
- Self determination for people of Eastern Europe
- Serbia to have access to sea
- Self determination for people in Turkish Empire
- Poland to be independent with access to the sea
- League of Nations to settle disputes
All of the three great powers had their own opinions for the peace settlement. Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany severely. During the war, France suffered more than any of the other great powers. The Germans purposefully destroyed France’s mines, railways, factories and bridges. This meant that France had no means of transport, making money or making the basic necessities of life such as food and petrol. On the other hand Britain and America did not believe that Germany deserved to be that severely punished. They also did not agree with moving the German frontier backwards to the Rhineland’s for France’s security, so that Germany could not invade France again.
Lloyd George needed money to pay for the damages in Britain. He needed to make the Germans pay reparations as that was what the British people wanted. This was actually the opposite feeling of the British people once the peace settlement was made.
At the end the Treaty of Versailles was based on punishing the Germans. Other countries made their own separate treaties.
The treaty of Versailles
- Germany had to accept the Guilt clause- the blame for the war
- Germany’s armed forces were reduced- only volunteers, without armed vehicles, aircraft, submarines and only 6 warships
- The area was demilitarised- German troops weren’t allowed in the Rhineland
- Germany were forced to pay £6.6 billion in reparations
-
Germany lost it’s empire- areas around the world
- The league of Nations was set up to keep word peace
In my opinion the Treaty of Versailles could have been much better. It shouldn’t have been so harsh on the Germans- the reparation fees were far too much!
Why was it so difficult to make a peace settlement that would please everyone?
All the Countries wanted different things and could not agree on what punishment the Germans should receive. Britain felt that the Treaty of Versailes was too harsh on the Germans where as France felt that it was not harsh enough.
The other 32 nations weren’t really interested about how harshly Germany should be punished. They just wanted what they had been promised by Britain and France. These were the separate treaties made during the war.
Britain and France promised countries pieces of land if they helped fight in the war. However once the war was over they did not want to sign off land to these other Nations.
It was not possible to make a treaty that would benefit and suit everyone. Everyone needed to make compromises this meant nobody got the peace settlement they wanted.
I think that everybody including America who left the League of Nations should have also had more of a say. President Wilson’s ’14 points’ should have been further discussed and thought about.
How were the important decisions made during the peace conference?
Al the peace makers discussed the various terms of the treaty at the peace conference and the Countries usually looked at the terms that would usually benefit themselves, for example: the reparation fee that was decided at the peace conference for Germany to pay would benefit the Allies. Since any damage in their countries or to their armies could be compensated for.
The leaders also compromised on some aspects of the decisions that were to be made as they all knew that they could not get everything they wanted. So the allies met halfway with some decisions that meant that they could benefit in some way/
What were the main differences in the aims of the ‘Big Three’?
The ‘Big Three’ were Lloyd George (Britain), Georges Clemenceau (France) and Woodrow Wilson (America). They all wanted future peace but did not agree on how to get this. They wanted different things from the peace settlement.
Lloyd George (Britain),
Lloyd George’s main aims were:
- To make Germany pay, as this was what the British people wanted
- To have justice and not revenge on Germany
- To make Britain a better place by increasing its empire etc.
Georges Clemenceau (France),
Clemenceau’s aims were:
- Reparations from Germany to pay for damages
- Revenge on Germany
- To weaken Germany so that France would not be invaded again
Woodrow Wilson (America),
Wilson’s aims were
- Disarmament (countries agree to limit their weapons)
- Colonies (overseas countries, ruled by a European Nation) to be independent
- World peace
- His ‘14 points’ to be established
Lloyd and Wilson didn’t believe that Germany should be severely punished whereas Clemenceau wanted Germany to receive harsh punishment. Lloyd and Clemenceau wanted reparation fees for damages and also wanted to make Germany pay as this was what the British and French people wanted. They needed the support of the public to succeed in the Elections and would be voted out if they did not carry out the extreme requirements of their people.
Why did all the Victors not get everything they wanted?
The victors were Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Wilson. Firstly they did not get everything they wanted because they did not share the same views. They disagreed with Wilson’s 14 points and were limited in their choices by the other nations.
During the war Lloyd and Clemenceau made secret treaties with other nations such as Italy and Japan. They agreed to sign land to them if they fought in the war against Germany. Once the war had ended Lloyd and Clemenceau were not very keen about giving the other nations their promised territory. However they did give, what was promised which meant that they didn’t get all the land that they wanted.
Clemenceau was not able to get the German frontier pushed to the Rhineland’s as the other powers did not agree with this.
Lloyd George was not able to get all the money that he wanted from reparations, simply because Germany could not afford it.
Woodrow Wilson also did not get his ’14 points’ established because the other powers did not agree with them.
America left the League of Nations along with some other countries which also meant that the League of Nations wasn’t as strong as it could have been with the support of one of the great powers, America.
Conclusion
I think that once the peace treaty was made, many people regretted ever suggesting some of the points. I also think that everyone was aware of the outcomes of the treaty. I believe that the Countries would have had at least a vague idea about the fact that Germany wouldn’t have been able to pay the reparations and that due to the frustration and anger of the German people, something major was most definitely going to happen.
Bibliography
Modern world history by Nigel Kelly and Greg Lacey.
