Cette leçon contient 28 diapositives, avec quiz interactifs, diapositives de texte et 4 vidéos.
Éléments de cette leçon
9.1.4: Picking up the pieces after the war
9. The Time of World Wars
Slide 1 - Diapositive
What is this lesson about?
After World War I, the leaders of 27 nations met at the Paris Peace Conference to decide on the fate of Europe and large parts of the world. They signed different treaties with the losing Central Powers. The Treaty of Versailles shaped the fate of Germany. The Germans felt humiliated because they were severely punished. It immediately led to new tensions.
Slide 2 - Diapositive
The Big Four
Clemenceau
prime minister
France
Lloyd George
prime minister
Great Britain
Orlando
prime minister
Italy
Wilson
president
USA
Actually The Big Three....and Italy
Slide 3 - Diapositive
Word Duty
Fourteen Points: US president Wilson’s principles for peace to be used for the peace negotiations in order to end World War I
Treaty of Versailles: peace treaty that brought World War I to an end and in which the Allies
defined the future of Germany
war reparations: compensation paid by a defeated nation for the damage it inflicted during a war
League of Nations: international organisation founded in 1920 to maintain world peace and to prevent future wars; in 1946 replaced by the United Nations
national self-determination: the right of nations to form their own nation state
secular: not related to religion; in a secular state there is a separation between Church and State
WORD DUTY
Slide 4 - Diapositive
Important date in this lesson:
1919: June 28th: Signing of Peace Treaty of Versailles
1920: founding of the League of Nations
Slide 5 - Diapositive
What you will learn in
this lesson
that Germany was heavily punished by the Treaty of Versailles
how the map of Europe changed after the war
recognise the impact of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany
Use these questions to make your own summary
Slide 6 - Diapositive
In this lesson:
The Paris Peace Conference (1919) in the palace of Versailles
The Big Three
Germany: the main culprit
Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles, reluctantly accepting very harsh conditions.
The map of Europe changed, especially in eastern Europe.
League of Nations
Wilson’s ideal: an international organisation that can prevent future wars.
The League of Nations had a weak start:
USA itself did not join.
Germany (enemy) and the Soviet Union (traitor) were not welcome.
Slide 7 - Diapositive
Introduction
On 11th November 1918, an armistice was signed. With this came an end to World War I and the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires. In Russia, a revolution raged. While the victors celebrated, Eastern Europe seemed to balance on the edge of chaos. A heavy burden lay on shoulders of the Allied leaders: they had to reconstruct the world.
The signing of the treaty of peace at Versailles, 28 June 1919
Slide 8 - Diapositive
The Paris Peace Conference
The people of Europe were relieved that the Great War was over. They looked with great expectation towards the future. Most of them hoped that Woodrow Wilson, the president of the USA, would bring freedom and democracy. Wilson put himself in the position of peacemaker and had put his ideas of a better world onto paper in his Fourteen Points.
He predicted a new era: a time of freedom, peace and democracy. To reach his goals he had to negotiate with the other Allied victors.
American president Wilson was enthusiastically greeted by the people of Paris in 1919
Slide 9 - Diapositive
On 18 January 1919, the Paris Peace Conference started. Wilson and delegates of 26 other countries met at the Palace of Versailles. Every nation had its own expectations and agenda, but although hundreds of representatives were invited, the real power lay with
The Big Three: Wilson himself and the prime ministers of France (Clemençeau) and Britain (Lloyd George). During the peace conference different treaties were signed for different countries, but the most difficult issue they faced was the future of Germany. The French felt that their long time rival Germany had to be punished severely, because it had been the first to declare war and France had suffered the most. Clemenceau fanatically tried to convince the conference to keep Germany weak to ensure that it would never rise again. With this, he went against Wilson’s Fourteen Points. The USA and Great Britain were not as radical as France. They predicted that harsh punishments would trigger another war, but they still felt that Germany should take the blame.
The Big Four, 27th May, 1919. From left to right: Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Great Britain), Premier Vittorio Orlando (Italy), French Premier Georges Clemenceau, US President Wilson.
Slide 10 - Diapositive
Slide 11 - Vidéo
Germany: the main culprit
On 28th June 1919, the Allies signed the Treaty of Versailles. In it was decided that Germany:
was not allowed to have an army bigger then a hundred thousand soldiers; its fleet had to be given to the Allies
had to give its colonies to France and Britain; Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France
had to give up ten percent of its territory
had to pay for the damage, caused by the war.
had to accept the full blame for WW1 (Alleinschuld)
It was mostly out of an emotion and feelings of revenge that Germany was ordered to pay 132 billion gold marks (around 380 billion euros today) as war reparations, a huge amount. The Germans were astonished that they were not allowed to participate in the meeting. As expected they were outraged when they read the treaty terms. They felt humiliated and refused to sign it. Eventually they agreed, but only because the Allies threatened to continue the war.
signing of the Treaty on June 18th, 1919, exactly 5 years after the assassination of the archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo
Slide 12 - Diapositive
Slide 13 - Vidéo
Slide 14 - Vidéo
Slide 15 - Diapositive
Slide 16 - Diapositive
A League of Nations
One of president Wilson’s most important objectives in his Fourteen Point plan was the idea of a League of Nations. He wanted a future in which countries gathered and discussed hostilities and possible conflicts before using violence. He hoped that it would cause transparency and end the secret alliances. Wilson dreamed of a more peaceful world in which countries would disarm their militaries, so global wars could be prevented. However, his League of Nations did not become what he had expected. Germany was still seen as the enemy and therefore was not allowed to participate. The newly formed Soviet Union (Russia) was also not welcome because it betrayed its allies. Even Wilson’s own country, the USA, did not agree with his plans. Membership to the League was declined by the congress. The League of Nations was already a weak institution when it started.
The official opening of the League of Nations, 15 November 1920
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Slide 19 - Diapositive
The end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Another of Wilson’s principles was the right of national self-determination: Wilson believed that a nation sharing a common language or culture should be free to form its own nation state. They should be helped in any struggle for independence from empires or other autocratic rulers all over the world. He wanted to inspire smaller countries to govern themselves democratically. The other Allies had to agree with this right of national self-determination, because many people in Eastern Europe had already declared new states after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At Paris, the Allies gave the nationalists the right to form new countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Austria and Hungary became separate countries. The Austrians requested to become a part of Germany, but the Allies dismissed this idea because it would appear to be a reward for Germany. Millions of Germans suddenly became minorities in Poland or in Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. This caused new tensions in Eastern Europe.
Finished with the summary? Now make a printscreen of the finished summary and upload it here.
Slide 22 - Question ouverte
You have finished with this lesson: - You have read the texts - You have made the summary - You have done the practise questions. Are you well prepared for a test or do you need additional help?
If you still need help, you can ask your question here.
Slide 23 - Question ouverte
congratulations
congratulations
Slide 24 - Diapositive
Slide 25 - Vidéo
Slide 26 - Diapositive
The Balfour Declaration
The Balfour Declaration was a statement made by the British government in 1917 during World War I. It said that they supported the idea of creating a "national home" for Jewish people in Palestine. The declaration was written in a letter from the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community. The letter was published in the newspaper on November 9, 1917.
Before the declaration, the British government had been thinking about what to do with Palestine. They wanted to get support from Jewish people, so they decided to support their goal of having a home in Palestine. The British government formed a committee to discuss their policy towards Palestine, and they had meetings with Zionist leaders. The Zionist leaders were the ones who wanted a Jewish home in Palestine. After many discussions and drafts of the declaration, it was finally sent to Lord Rothschild.
The Balfour Declaration was a very important event in the history of Israel and Palestine. It was the first step towards the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. The declaration said that the British government supported the idea of a Jewish home, but it also said that they would protect the rights of non-Jewish people in Palestine. This was important because there were already people living in Palestine who were not Jewish. The declaration was a big deal because it changed the future of the region.
The Big Four, 27th May, 1919. From left to right: Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Great Britain), Premier Vittorio Orlando (Italy), French Premier Georges Clemenceau, US President Wilson.
Slide 27 - Diapositive
The Balfour Declaration
The Big Four, 27th May, 1919. From left to right: Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Great Britain), Premier Vittorio Orlando (Italy), French Premier Georges Clemenceau, US President Wilson.