Name: KEY Date:

Modern Global Studies

Treaty of Versailles

Treaty of Versailles: the treaty (agreement) that officially ended WW1

Setting the stage…

• What did each of the “Big Four” countries want at the Treaty of Versailles?

  • Italy:

    • wanted to be taken seriously, by gaining control of Germany’s colonies that would likely be taken away

  • France: (most of the fighting happened in France, and they had the most soldiers killed)

    • wanted to punish Germany harshly

    • wanted money to pay for the cost of fighting the war and for the damages suffered

    • wanted to severely weaken Germany so it can never invade/threaten France again

  • Great Britain:

    • want to punish Germany, but not too harshly

    • want to continue trading with Germany

    • wanted Germany to be politically stable

  • United States: (involved in the war the shortest time, had the fewest soldiers killed)

    • “peace without victory” meaning they don’t necessarily want to punish, rather they want to focus on creating a framework for a lasting global peace

    • Fourteen Points: US President Woodrow Wilson’s plan to create “peace without victory”

1. End Secret Treaties

2. Freedom of the seas

3. Free Trade

4. Reduce size of national armies & navies

5. Fairer treatment of colonies

6-13. Changing borders→based on idea of self-determination (Nationalism)

14. Create the League of Nations

• League of Nations: an international peacekeeping organization

  • Do you think this plan will work? Why/ why not?

Historians argue that the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I also created the conditions that led to World War

II. Explain their rationale.

The Treaty left the German economy in ruins.

People were starving and the government was in chaos.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power.

The Germans were desperate for someone to turn around their economy and restore their national pride.

Hitler offered them hope.

In 1934, Hitler was proclaimed the "Fuhrer" (leader) and became dictator of Germany.

Hitler resented the restrictions put on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.

While talking about peace, Hitler began to rearm Germany.

He allied Germany with Mussolini and Italy.

Then Hitler looked to restore Germany to power by expanding his empire.

TREATY OF VERSAILLES: Post-War World 1

Describe 5 differences you can see between the two maps.

1. Russia changed name to USSR

2. Creation of Yugoslavia

3. no more Serbia

4. Poland is created

5. creation of Czechoslovakia

New countries were created based on: NATIONALISM