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WYOMUN III
Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919
Committee Chairs: Anna Zidarescu, Jeffrey Bonner, & Margot D’Agostino
Director-General: Zachary Lempert
Chief of Staff: David Easton
Secretary-General: Vishnu Paranandi
WYOMUN III
Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to WYOMUN III! I am so excited to be your
chair for the Paris Peace Conference of 1919! I hope that
all of you are eager to learn, not only about this
monumental event in history, but also to learn skills as a
delegate that will transfer well beyond Model UN. And of
course, a little fun won’t hurt either!
This is my second year on WYOMUN staff, but I have
been participating in Model UN since I was in sixth grade.
As successful as WYOMUN II was last year, I know that
WYOMUN III will be even better! When I’m not participating in Model UN,
doing homework, or applying to college (it’s happening and it’s scary!), I dance
competitively, volunteer through our school’s key club, and work for a non-profit
that I cofounded. I also love reading for fun (one of my favorite book is ​All the
Light We Cannot See; look it up, you won’t regret it), traveling (I visited London
this past summer with my family!), and sending snail mail to my long-distance
friends.
I am so excited to meet all of you and learn and grow to become better global
citizens. I hope that all of you make the most of your experience at WYOMUN III
this year, and this background guide is the first place to start! If you have any
questions feel free to email me directly ([email protected]) or email the
WYOMUN staff ([email protected]).
Sincerely,
Anna Zidarescu
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The Great War
The Great War (1914-1918), known today as World War I, was the largest war the world
had ever seen. In the early 1900s, most every European country was trying to build an empire.
On June 28, 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo (located in a
predominantly Serbian area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was
a member of a Serbian
revolutionary group called
“Young Bosnia,” which was
armed by a military society
called “Unification or Death,”
commonly known as the “Black
Hand.”
While Ferdinand’s
assassination was the catalyst for
the start of World War I, there
were many factors that played
key roles in the start of the war.
Firstly there were two major alliances that divided the major European powers: the Triple
Alliance of ​Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the Triple Entente of Britain, Russia and
France. Although these alliances were strictly defensive, they meant that a conflict between
countries from each alliance was bound to involve all of the other countries. ​There was also an
increasing sense of militarism and nationalism within these countries. Military spending had
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increased in all of these countries prior to World War I; a majority of military-aged men in
France and Germany had served in the army or navy, and all of the countries except Great
Britain had conscription (required enlistment into the army). Closely aligned with the growth of
militarism was that of nationalism; the ​desire for world power status was popular in Germany,
the desire for revenge over Alsace and Lorraine (the area ceded to Germany by France after the
Franco-Prussian War) was strong in France, and support Imperialism was very evident in Great
Britain​. Growing militarism and
nationalism meant that there was very
little resistance to war in Europe.
The belligerents of the war can
be generally categorized into two
opposing sides, known as the the Allied
Powers and the Central Powers. The
Allied Powers originally consisted of the United Kingdom, Russia, and France with Italy joining
in 1915, Romania in 1916, and the United States of America in 1917. The Central Powers
originally consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy with the Ottoman Empire joining in
the Fall of 1914 and Bulgaria doing so in 1915.
Overall, the war was different from anything the world had ever seen before. It was a
different kind of war, as technological advancements resulted in the use of new types of poison
gas, air warfare, artillery, shells, and tanks. Advancements were also made in naval warfare,
mainly with the use of submarines. These new advancements, coupled with the use of barbed
wire (which became a significant obstacle to infantry advancements), made trench warfare a
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commonality, which, in turn,made crossing disputed land and attacking enemies incredibly
difficult and often impossible.
The war became a war of attrition, or wearing down. The goal of each involved party
became to deplete the other parties of resources and lives instead of taking a more offensive
approach. The difficult conditions led to very high casualty rates. About 4.7 million lives were
lost on the Allied side and around 3.4 million on the side of the Central Powers. The impact of
the war was felt far and wide on an incredible scale. Europe, especially France and Belgium,
were ruined, so much so that some areas were no longer habitable because the environment had
been so badly destroyed.
In March 1917, just a month before the United States entered the war, the Russian
Empire collapsed with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, and by October, the Bolshevik
(communist) government had taken power. On March 3, 1918, after months of inactivity, Russia
formally ended its participation in the war with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The
victory on the Eastern Front allowed Germany to focus its resources on the Western Front, where
it was fighting other powers such as England and France. Germany had advanced 100 kilometers
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on the Western Front in the Spring of 1918, a remarkable distance considering how difficult
advancement was with trench warfare. Despite the surge, the addition of American troops and
resources proved insurmountable and Germany’s gains soon vanished. The military struggles led
Germany to agree to the Armistice of Compiègne on November 11, 1918, formally ending the
fighting and finalizing the Triple Alliance’s victory. By the end of the war, the powerful German,
Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires were all destroyed.
With the war’s close, the stage is now set for the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 to
begin. The main goal of the delegates participating in this conference is to pass a treaty to
formally conclude the Great War and arrange the terms of that conclusion. With the hardships of
war fresh in the minds of all nations, preventing such a conflict from occurring in the future is a
key objective for all states. More specific descriptions of delegates’ goals are exhibited below.
Regardless of the nature of the treaty signed, the results of this conference will undoubtedly
change the world.
The Conference
In January 1919, delegates from 27 nations arrived in Paris and the surrounding area to
work out the terms of the Great War’s end. Over the following year, representatives worked in
one of fifty-two commissions, each dedicated to a specific topic, which collectively made up
what was known as the Paris Peace Conference. While the war had many victors, the conference
was dominated by the leaders of the key victorious powers, known as the “Big Four:” United
States President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French Prime
Minister Georges Clemenceau, and Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando. They and
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their closest advisors met informally 145 times to make all of the major decisions of the
conference, which were then ratified by the other delegates.
At WYOMUN III, delegates will represent officials from the “Big Four” nations, with the
heads of state for those nations being represented by the committee staff. This layout ensures that
all delegates are serving a relevant role, while not holding universal power over one another. All
four nations will have a diplomatic, economic, and military representative. The roles are as
follows:
United States (Head of State: President Woodrow Wilson)
Diplomatic: Secretary of State – Robert Lansing
Economic: Secretary of the Treasury – Carter Glass
Military: Chief of Staff of the United States Army – Peyton Conway March
Stance:
The United States enters the conference with very clear objectives. American delegates,
guided by Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, aim to use the Paris Peace Conference to
establish a more open, fair, and diplomatic world. Specific goals include self-determination, open
and honest diplomacy, fair trade, and the readjustment of national boundaries. However, many of
the Americans’ goals run counter to those of other countries at the conference, many of whom
are seeking a more punitive peace. With that in mind, the United States seeks to establish a
League of Nations as a forum promoting discussion and increased interconnectedness among all
states with the belief that said interactions will decrease the risk of war breaking out in the future.
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Domestically, many U.S. citizens are weary of war and see the war as a massive waste of
lives and resources on a conflict in which they did not need to be involved. With that being said,
the United States did not enter the war until 1917, so they did not have as much loss or suffring
as most European states.
Great Britain (Head of State: Prime Minister David Lloyd George):
Diplomatic: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs – Arthur Balfour
Economic: Chancellor of the Exchequer – Austen Chamberlain
Military: Secretary of State for War and Air – Winston Churchill
Stance:
Representatives from Great Britain have a few major concerns that they want to address
at the Paris Peace Conference. Great Britain has a sizable empire that it wishes to maintain and
expand as much as possible. It also agrees with Wilson’s Fourteen Points to a fair extent and
supports the creation of the League of Nations, but is opposed to the prospect of open seas,
fearing that this could weaken the influence of their dominant navy. Seeking to prevent Germany
from posing a threat ever again, Great Britain supports the concept of blaming Germanyfor
starting the war and therefore, making Germany pay reparations for damages.
France (Head of State: President Georges Clemenceau):
Diplomatic: Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development – Stéphen
Pichon
Economic: Minister of Finance Louis - Lucien Klotz
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Military: Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces – Ferdinand Foch
Stance:
France enters the conference as a crippled state.With millions s killed and wounded and a
country in ruin, many French want revenge against Germany. France lost the Franco-Prussian
War to the Germans in 1871 and felt that the Germans had shamed them with the ensuing treaty,
so France sees a historical precedent for punitive peace treaties. They are in favor of putting
restrictions on Germany’s military because as Germany’s opponent and neighbor, France does
not want Germany to have a military that could invade again. France has a fairly large and
powerful empire and do not want to lose any of their territory. When it comes to the Fourteen
Points and the League of Nations, the French are willing to compromise, although they do not
outright support these plans, instead looking for a more direct and punitive conclusion to the war
Italy (Head of State: Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando):
Diplomatic: Foreign Minister– Giorgio Sidney Sonninor
Economic: Minister of Finance – Francesco Saverio Nitti
Military: Chief of Staff – Armando Diaz
Stance:
Italy entered the war almost a year after Archduke Ferdinand’s death. When its Prime
Minister Vittorio Orlando agreed to enter the war, he signed the secret Treaty of London with
France and Britain, which stated that if Italy helped the Allies, the Italians could have control of
the Adriatic Coast at the end of the war. The Italian representatives arrive in Paris expecting this
promise to be upheld. Italy, which ​had signed the Treaty of London with France and the rest of
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the Triple Entente (promising to stay neutral if Germany attacked France),​ does not have nearly
as much stake in the war nor as much spite towards Germany as nations like Great Britain and
France so they are less concerned about punishing Germany and restricting its future fighting
capacity. Italy does not feel too strongly about any particular course of action except that they
seek land and possessions for itself. It ise not against the League of Nations or the Fourteen
Points unless either of these plans prevent Italy from gaining ownership of land that Italians
believe belongs to them.
Countless deaths resulted
from The Great War, and
representatives at the
conference felt someone
needed to take the blame.
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The Treaty
Delegates in this committee at WYOMUN III will ultimately work together to create and pass a
treaty. This treaty will be drafted in three general phases, corresponding to the “Questions to
Consider” below. While these phases are unique and must be given individual attention, the
treaty that the delegates pass at the end of the committee must be cohesive, comprehensive, and
ultimately addresses the previously mentioned goal of formally and peacefully putting the war to
rest and preventing such a conflict from occurring in the future.
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Questions to Consider
How should the war be formally ended and what actions and/or reparations must be taken
against the losing parties?
Several armistices were reached in late 1918, most notably the Armistice of Compiègne
with Germany on November 11, 1918. These have brought an end to the physical violence of the
Great War. Now, a formal treaty with several terms must be written to formally end the conflict.
In this process, major questions must be answered, such as where the blame for the war falls, and
how that party and other losing parties will account for the damages caused by the war. Europe
must recover to move towards the future, and how this is paid for will be important.
How will land be redistributed?
The issue of land redistribution is twofold. In an effort to limit the power of the currently
unstable, losing parties of the war, there are various boundaries within Europe that are to be
formally determined and many overseas possessions belonging to the German and Ottoman
Empires that must be redistributed. This committee will focus on distributing the overseas
possessions. Those lands are:
Ottoman possessions in Europe:
- Palestine
- Syria
- Mesopotamia
German possessions in Africa:
- Ruanda-Urundi
- Tanganyika
- Kamerun
- Togoland
- South West Africa
German possessions in the Pacific:
- German New Guinea
- Nauru
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German Samoa
Nanyo
There will be fierce competition for control over land, as attempts at empire-building are far
from over and nationalism is still strong in Europe, especially amongst the victorious nations.
How this situation is handled will be instrumental in determining states’ capacity to yield global
influence in the future.
How can long-term peace be maintained?
A significant portion of the committee will be focused on creating a long-term plan for
peace. At the time of this committee, the world is in a state of tension, and after such a terrible
war, one main goal is to prevent such a large-scale conflict from ever happening again.
Understanding the events leading up to to the war is critical in preventing such an event from
occurring again. Keeping this in mind, the plan that delegates in this committee will make to
address this must be practical and feasible; it is important to avoid making it impossibly
idealistic. No one country can police all conflicts, so the world will have to work together to
attempt to create and maintain long-term global peace.
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Further Reading
Although this background guide is a great starting point for research, additional investigation is
necessary for further understanding of the committee and the topics to be discussed. Below are a
few sources to help delegates begin this process. That being said, delegates are strongly
encouraged to look for sources beyond those listed here, especially when researching topics
specific to particular positions. Taking these actions will ensure a successful committee
experience for all delegates.
Bibliography
"Alsace-Lorraine." ​Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Dec. 2015.
Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.britannica.com/place/Alsace-Lorraine>
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 28 June 1914. Sarajevo. Bloy, Marjie. "European
History." ​Causes of the First World War. A Web of English History, n.d. Web. 18 Sept.
2016.
<http://www.historyhome.co.uk/europe/causeww1.htm>
"Milestones: 1914–1920 - Office of the Historian." ​U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department
of State, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920>
Paris Peace Conference. N.d. Paris. "Post-World War I Peace Conference Begins in Paris."
History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
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<​http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/post-world-war-i-peace-conference-begins-i
n-paris​>
Sharp, By Alan. "The Big Four: Peacemaking in Paris in 1919." ​History Today. History Today
Ltd., Dec. 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.historytoday.com/alan-sharp/big-four-peacemaking-paris-1919>
"Silvapages." ​Aims of Participants at the League of Nations. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
The Big Four. N.d. Paris.
<http://ibatpv.org/ib/paper1/Aims/default.htm>
"The Conference and the Big Three." ​GCSE Bitesize. BBC, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
The Same Cemetery before the Second World War. N.d. Zinsel, n.p.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/bigthreerev1.shtml>
"Timeline of World War One - History Learning Site." ​History Learning Site. History Learning
Site, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/timeline-of-world-war-one/>
"World War I | HistoryNet." ​HistoryNet. HistoryNet, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i>
World War I Map 1914. N.d. N.p.
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