6 most powerful nations in Europe ⇒ divided into 2 opposing alliances:
- Triple Alliance → Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy (later joined by ottoman empire, present day Turkey)
- Triple Entente → Britain, France, Russia
Impact of WW1
Public Sentiments
People of Britain, France US ⇒ felt strongly that Germany was responsible and should be punished ⇒ particular strong in Britain and France⇒ as total casualties on both sides estimated to exceed 9 million. ⇒ civilians also faced shortage of food and medicine, while villages and towns in large areas of Belgium and France had been devastated
Treaty of Brest Litovsk
Case for treating Germany harshly ⇒ strengthened ⇒ when it became known how Germany had Forces Russia to sign this treaty Russia was forced to give land to Germany → including large areas of prime agricultural land + industrial areas + much of its coal mines → also lost a 3rd of its population and resources ⇒ such as oil and iron stores → Russia was also required to pay reparations of 6 billion marks to Germany (For What???)
Aims of the Big 3 at Paris Peace Conference
Aims of The Big 3 at Paris Peace Conference
Compromises made at PPC
Very difficult to meet all different objectives. but they were able to come to a compromise
Clemenceau had to give up the aim of breaking up Germany but he got reparations and some control of Germany’s Rhineland and coalfield in the Saar
Wilson > got what he wanted in Eastern Europe despite the reservations that Lloyd George and Clemenceau had about self determination → felt that Wilson did not understand difficulties of creating states + allowing people of many different nationalities in Central and Eastern Europe to rule themselves.
Wilsons views on people ruling themselves ⇒ somewhat threatening to British → British Empire ruled millions of people around world ⇒ accessing world from London. Mean losing its colonies Lloyd George ⇒ also unhappy with Allowing all countries to access the seas.
However both he and Clemenceau came to accept point on self determination eventually.
TOV
Terms and Effects of Treaty of Versailles