Exercise looking at the treaty

1. Background

2.  The Treaty was signed after World War One had
ended in 1918
 Signed at the vast Versailles Palace near Paris
between Germany and the Allies in 1919
 Three most important politicians there were
David Lloyd George (GB), Georges Clemenceau
(Fr), and Woodrow Wilson (USA) – known as the
“Big Three”
 Many wanted Germany, led by Friedrich Ebert,
smashed, but others, like Lloyd George were
more cautious

3.  WWI left Europe devastated, casualties of the
Entente were:
◦ Britain: 750,000 killed, 1,500,000 wounded
◦ France: 1,400,000 killed, 2,500,000 wounded
◦ Belgium: 50,000 killed
◦ Italy: 600,000 killed
◦ Russia: 1,700,000 killed
◦ America: 116,000 killed

4.  Those who fought against the Entente suffered
heavy casualties as well:
◦ Germany: 2,000,000 killed
◦ Austria-Hungary: 1,200,000 killed
◦ Turkey: 325,000 killed
◦ Bulgaria: 100,000 killed
 Total deaths of all nations who fought in the war
are estimated at 9.5 million with 21 million
wounded

5.  Vast areas of north-eastern Europe had
been reduced to rubble
 The homes of 750,000 French people
were destroyed along with infrastructure
 Roads, coal mines, telegraph poles had all
been destroyed which hindered progress

6.  The ‘victors’ from the Great War were in no
mood to be charitable to the defeated nations
 Germany in particular was held responsible for
the war and its consequences
 Mid-1918 saw Europe hit by the Spanish Flu
which saw 25 million people die, added to
bitterness throughout Europe
 Treaty was signed June 28th
1919 after months
of negotiation

7.  Note:
◦ Rhineland is the part of Germany near France, France
wanted it to be under supervision so that Germany would not
attack again in the future
◦ Alsace-Lorraine was taken from France by the Germans for
its resources in 1870
◦ Saar is German territory but the Allies would like it to rebuild
their countries
◦ Poland: Old country that was taken over by Russia and
Germany
◦ Danzig: Important port, citizens are 90% German
◦ Czechoslovakia: very important industrial part of
Austria/Hungary, 67% Czechs or Slovaks

8.  Note:
◦ Poland: Old country that was taken over by Russia and
Germany
◦ Danzig: Important port, citizens are 90% German
◦ Czechoslovakia: very important industrial part of
Austria/Hungary, 67% Czechs or Slovaks

9.  Satisfied the “Big Three”:
◦ Kept Germany weak
◦ Safeguarded the French/German border
◦ Created League of Nations to end warfare
◦ Made Germany pay for war damages
 Left a mood of anger throughout Germany:
◦ Felt they were treated unfairly
◦ Hated the clause giving them blame for the war
◦ Those who signed for Germany were called
“November Criminals”
◦ People felt they were being punished for something
the government did

11. 1. Compare the size of Germany before and after
the war. Locate and name two countries that
received territory in 1919, which formerly
belonged to Germany.
2. What happened to Austria-Hungary in 1918?
Name the newly independent nations that were
created in Europe.
3. Name and locate four new countries that were
created from former Russian territory. To what
other countries did Russia lose territory?

12. 4. Locate the Polish Corridor on the map. How might
the creation of the Polish Corridor lead to
problems among nations in the future?
5. How might the creation of a number of new small
nations in Europe lead to future territorial
disputes?

13.  Was the Treaty of Versailles a Fair and Just Settlement to the War?
 Choose and analyse 5 points from your voting points sheet.
 For each, explain whether each was fair or unfair and why.
 Use this information to practice writing a paragraph.

14.  http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317366

15.  Write a paragraph describing your experiences
in the simulation. Touch upon:
◦ The role of your country
◦ How other countries were treated
◦ Was the treaty process fair?
 What do you think Germany deserved/didn’t deserve?
◦ Do you see this benefitting or hurting Europe?
◦ Your opinion on the experience: how can it be
improved?