World War I Peace Settlement - Reading Questions

Due to Russia’s withdraw from WWI and US entry, what “race” was setting up in early 1918 that may have determined the outcome of the war?

The race of what would have the bigger impact: US troops entering the western front vs. all German forces on the Western front.

Why would the Allies want to deal with a “republican” Germany at the end of World War I? Why would the German military leaders allow this new civilian government to negotiate the peace settlement?

It allowed allies to deal with he people of Germany and what they wanted/needed rather than deal with the emperor who was losing power and would do anything keep it, Prussian military allowed because they then didn’t have to take the blame for Germany’s defeat.

Kaiser Wilhelm II’s abdication in 1918, and the declaring of the Weimar Republic, brought what Prussian dynasty to an end?

Hohenzollern dynasty.

Why was the armistice agreed to take effect at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918?

Because this was made the armistice seem quite dramatic which they thought it should be because it was supposed to be the war to end all wars.

Explain the myth that the German nation was “stabbed in the back” at Versailles.

The peace treaty was signed by the Weimar republic who claimed to represent the German people but really forced them to accept all the bad terms of the treaty while the Prussian military leaders who really caused the defeat got off clean without blame.

Trace the historical/philosophical roots of Woodrow Wilson’s idealism at the end of World War I.

Traces back to the enlightenment when everyone joined together for the world to work and succeeded, absence of nations.

List the Big Three nations and their representatives at the Versailles negotiations. What role did Italy play at Versailles?

US (Wilson), France (Clemenceau), GB (Lloyd George), Italy represent by Victorio Orlando had a representative but no power in the negotiations.

What nation championed the argument that Germany should be treated harshly after World War I and why?

France, the war was mostly fought on their soil, also France wanted revenge, economic retribution, and lasting security for their country from Germany.

List all of the newly independent European nations established by the Treaty of Versailles and from where their territory came.

Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (sanitary nations), Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, bohemia.

Alsace-Lorraine became part of what nation after World War I?

France

What three general punishments did Germany suffer as a result of the Treaty of Versailles?

Military restrictions, money to France, territorial losses (colonial and continental)

What significance was there in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles taking place in the Hall of Mirrors?

It was the France getting revenge on the Germans who humiliated them in 1871 after their defeat in the Franco-Prussian war when they crowned the German emperor Wilhelm I there.

An underlying issue at the Versailles negotiations was the potential spread of what?

Communism

Why did the United States Senate not ratify the Treaty of Versailles?

The league of Nations violated congress’ constitutional power of the right to declare war.

Evaluate the Treaty of Versailles’ handling of national self-determination.

Not effectively handled because a lot of the new nations borders cut through ethnic groups which caused more controversy between different groups in the same nation.

What European nations controlled what territories in the Middle East after World War I?

France – Lebanon & Syria, GB – Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq

Assess the casualty numbers in WWI and its effect on the future of European society.

8 million battlefield casualties and 10 million civilian casualties, there were too many lost that many bodies were never returned home and more cemeteries and monuments were created in remembrance of soldiers, society wary of war again, many soldiers suffered from PTSD, shell shock, or were disabled and could not find work, economy crashed during transition from war back to normalcy.