paris peace treaties - big 3

President Woodrow Wilson (Good from the new world)

* an idealist
* open diplomacy, respect, world peace
* established 14 points

WW Territory:

* plebiscites in disputed areas
* mandates to be created out of Germany’s former colonies
* leave Germany as a strong central European power (so it would not later seek revenge, don’t treat her harshly)

WW Reparations:

Minimum

WW Armament:

World disarmament

WW War guilt:

Everyone accepts partial blame

WW LON:

Everyone should be allowed to join from the outset

What WW wanted:

* self determination in formation of new states (Poland, Latvia)
* strengthen democracy in defeated nations so they later prevent their leaders from beginning another war
* a fair and lasting peace settlement

Why WW was happy:

* self determination had been used for East Prussia, Upper Silesia
* Most of Clemenceaus worst demands had been rejected, Rhineland remained part of Germany
* Allowed Germany to keep trading with the US
* independent Poland created
* idea of LON had been accepted

Why WW was unhappy:

* failed to get all 14 points as a basis for treaty because GB and France had both been badly affected by the war, they weren’t as keen on the points
* LG resisted freedom of seas point, Wilson the idealist was up against two pragmatists who wanted the best for their respective countries
* didn’t want heavy economic penalties, GC wasn’t convinced
* GB and France took some of Germanys colonies
* no general disarmament, only for defeated countries

WW opinions

* LG: kept changing his mind, under pressure by the British public but didn’t want Germany to be too weak, made him difficult to deal with
* GC: wanted too harsh of a treaty, under pressure from French public

Lloyd George (Welsh Wizard)

* pragmatist
* realist & intelligent
* needs Germany as a trading partner
* post war, berates Germany “Hang the Kaiser”

LG Territory:

* take Germany’s colonies
* leave mainland Germany as a strong central European power

LG Reparations:

Moderate, not too severe so he could begin re-trading w her

LG Armament:

* Moderate disarmament of Germany ONLY
* Britain to join Germany Dreadnoughts

LG War Guilt:

Germany accepts entire blame

LG LON:

Germany allowed to join as soon as she has proven to be peace loving

What LG wanted:

* His aims were a mix of the forward-looking concerns outlined in the Fontainebleu Memorandum (called for a peace based on justice that would not provoke future wars) and his election promises in December 1918
* many of his aims were very contradictory
* stop German threats to British empire
* wanted British empire to remain supreme around the world
* for Germany to lose navy & colonies = threat
* ensure France doesn’t become too powerful
* no overly harsh treatment of Germany, may lead to future problems domestically & internationally
* didn’t want Germany to be charged more than she can pay in reparations, yet added all war pensions to the bill, which made the sum massive

Why LG was happy:

* reparations weren’t as extreme as France wanted
* free navigation of seas abandoned
* pleased to extend British Empire
* Germany strong enough to stop spread of communism

Why LG was unhappy:

* treaty too harsh
* German speaking countries under rule of others

LG opinions:

* WW: unhappy with open sea point, self-determination threatening to British Empire


* CG: too harsh

Georges Clemenceau (Tiger)

* PM of France
* Vengeful (invasion of France by Germans 1870, 1914)
* hard tough politician
* wants to destroy Germany
* realist, knew he would be forced to compromise but had to demonstrate awareness of French public opinion

GC Territory:

* break up Germany into states, like 1871
* share out colonies and territories amongst winners (mainly France)
* Saar, Rhineland, Alsace Lorraine to France

GC Reparations:

Massive

GC Armament:

* Massive disarmament of Germany only
* France to gain resources of land army

GC War Guilt:

Germany accepts entire blame

GC LON:

* Germany banned from LON
* LON should be a police force to control her

What GC wanted:

* weaken Germany both economically and militarily
* Germany to suffer
* revenge (invasion of France by Germany 1917)
* ensure Germany would not attack France again by taking land, weakening industry and reducing armed forces

Why GC was happy:

* terms of treaty made Germany economically weak
* Rhineland was demilitarised
* Germanys overseas territories under LON control
* Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
* use of coal mines of Saar basin
* France made some material gains, French public was pleased
* \

Why GC was unhappy:

* Felt that some of Frances eastern borders still weren’t secure
* wanted more severe Reparations
* Germany not split into states
* failed to get Saar permanently
* Germany wasn’t permanently disarmed
* French public displeased, led to Clemenceau’s government being overthrown and his political career ending
* France had expected that the TOV would be backed up by a permanent peacetime alliance with the USA and the UK, this would be Frances main security pillar, this alliance failed to materialise, leaving France to face a Germany that still had a larger population and economy than itself

GC opinions:

* WW was very hard to work with, agreed w him in public for peace
* disagreed abt Saar and Rhineland
* even God only had 10 commandments
* LG + WW disagreed on severity of punishment for Germany