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PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE - 1919 The dominating participants: “THE BIG FOUR” David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Great Britain Georges Clemençeau, Premier of France Vittorio Orlando, Prime Minister of Italy Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States The conflicting national interests of the principal Allied Powers: Great Britain: To extend its colonial empire (to gain colonies from Germany and the Ottoman Empire) To weaken Germany militarily ending its dominance of the Continent To restore the balance of power France: To weaken Germany militarily and economically ending its status as a European power To recover Alsace-Lorraine and other territory in the Rhineland rich in resources To extend its colonial empire (to gain colonies from Germany and the Ottoman Empire) Italy: To complete Italian national unity (to gain Italia Irredenta, territory in old Austria-Hungary) To gain colonies United States: To prevent future wars through a just peace applying the Fourteen Points, ending international bitterness and establishing the League of Nations as an international organization to keep world peace The Treaty of Versailles (with Germany) Germany lost territory: Alsace-Lorraine to France; The Saar to a League of Nations mandate (France would receive the revenue from the coal mines; the future would be decided by a plebiscite); Border areas went to Belgium and Denmark; the creation of the new nation of Poland with an outlet to the sea included the “Polish Corridor”; Danzig was a free city under League of Nations mandate Germany lost all colonies to the Allies under League of Nations mandate: the African colonies went to Britain and France; the holding in China and Pacific Islands went to Japan Germany was disarmed: the army was limited to 100,000 volunteers (no conscription allowed); the navy was reduced and limited to only small warships and no submarines; no air force The Rhineland (the border with France) was demilitarized Germany accepted sole responsibility for the war Germany agreed to pay war reparations to the Allies The Treaties of St. Germain and the Trianon (with Austria-Hungary) Austria-Hungary was dissolved: Austria and Hungary became separate and sovereign, and Czechoslovakia was created Lost territory also went to Poland, Italy, Romania, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia (old Serbia) Anschluss (union) with Germany was forbidden The Treaties of Sèvres and Lausanne (with the Ottoman Empire) The Ottoman Empire was dissolved and Turkey created as a republic The Middle East territory was transferred to Britain and France by League of Nations mandate Territory given to Greece caused war between Turkey and Greece and a revision of the Treaty of Sèvres: Turkey’s loss of European territory was reduced in the Treaty of Lausanne Other Major Decisions Russia lost territory to create Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and to increase Romania The League of Nations was established to prevent future wars by establishing a permanent site for diplomacy and guaranteeing peace through collective security A SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF WORLD WAR I SOCIAL RESULTS: Approximately 10 million soldiers were killed and over 20 million wounded totaling more than 30 million casualties. Almost 2 million civilians died as an result of the war and many more from famine, and disease caused by the war. The world was left with hatred, intolerance, bitterness, and extreme nationalism bent on revenge for losses, humiliation or goals not achieved. The masses of Europe now had more political power than ever before but little education and background in government. ECONOMIC RESULTS: The total cost of the war was over $350 billion. Paying for the war brought heavy taxation and lower living standards to all European nations. Nations raised tariffs and tried for economic self-sufficiency but hurt international trade and raised resentment over these economic barriers. The first communist government came to power in Russia as a result of the pressures of the war and introduced a new economic system that challenged capitalism in Europe and the rest of the world. The Great Depression began in 1929 caused mainly by economic problems which resulted from World War I. POLITICAL RESULTS: The United States emerged as a leading world power yet denied international responsibilities by refusing to join the League of Nations. Instead, the U.S. followed isolationist policies from 1921-1940. The U.S. attempted to ignore the world scene as totalitarian dictatorships rose. Three major European dynasties: the Hohenzollerns in Germany, the Habsburgs in Austria, and the Romanovs in Russia (the 3 which had dominated Eastern Europe for over 200 years) as well as that of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, were dethroned. They had ruled their countries for centuries, but were now replaced by new governments that were inexperienced and not trusted. Especially Germany saw its new government as conceived and born in defeat. Many countries had democratic governments for the first time. When the problems of the 1930’s struck, these governments were unable to cope. Many blamed democracy and capitalism for the problems. New nation-states arose in central Europe. Several contained subject nationalities, especially the German-speaking peoples of Czechoslovakia and Poland. These new states were inexperienced and many of their citizens were unhappy with the change in status. The League of Nations was established to solve international problems and advance world peace. However, the organization and the system of collective security were untried and untrusted. Many European nations, unable to deal with the economic and political problems resulting from the war, turned to totalitarian dictatorships -- most notably Russia (the Soviet Union), Italy, Germany and Japan. GENERAL RESULTS: The war ended the world order that had prevailed in Europe for centuries and replaced it with a new order that was untried, unsure, and unsettled. Hatred, bitterness, suspicion, and the desire for revenge were larger than ever. Each nation blamed the others for all of the resulting problems which few truly understood because these problems were different than any the world had ever before faced. World War I ended the old European aristocratic system and the notion of war as a heroic contest. Today, the two World Wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945) are seen by some as a single great conflict with a 20-year cease-fire.