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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 2 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 3 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 4 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 5 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 6 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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. 7 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 8 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 9 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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. 10 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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. 11 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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 12 WYOMUN III - Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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. 13 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 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. 14 WYOMUN III Out of the Ashes: Paris Peace Conference, 1919 <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. 15