HIS CH 11-4 TREATY OF VERSAILLES

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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Wilson at Versailles

Rejection was probably the last thing Wilson anticipated when he arrived in Europe . Everywhere he went, people gave him a hero's welcome . Italians displayed his picture in their windows; Parisians strewed the road with flowers. Representatives of one group after another-Armenians, Jews, Ukrainians, and Poles-appealed to him for help in setting up independent nations for themselves . Even the normally restrained British showed their regard as men removed their hats and women bowed and waved as he passed

FOURTEEN POINTS

Even before the war was over, Wilson presented his plan for world peace. On January 18, 1918, he delivered his famous Fourteen Points speech before Congress . The points were divided into three groups . The first five points addressed issues that Wilson believed had caused the war:

1 . Nations should engage only in open covenants (agreements) openly arrived at. There should be no secret treaties among nations.
2. Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all.
3. Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade.
4. Arms should be reduced "to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety" in order to lessen militaristic impulses during diplomatic crises .
5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial peoples as well as the interests of the imperialist powers

The next eight points dealt with specific boundary changes. Wilson based these provisions on the principle of self-determination ,"along historically established lines of nationality." In other words, national groups would claimed distinct ethnic identities were to decide for themselves what nations they would belong to.

The fourteenth point called for the creation of an international organization to address diplomatic crises like those that had sparked the war. This League of Nations would provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without having to resort to war.

What was wilson’s plan for world peace called

a.	The League of Nations	c.	The Wilson Plan
b.	The United Nations	d.	The Fourteen Points

Under Wilson’s 14 Points, would Germany and England be allowed to enter into secret agreements and treaties?

a.	yes	c.	the Points do not say
b.	not

What did the 14 Points say about colonialism?

a.	The colonial powers should be eliminated	c.	The colonial nations should show more consideration toward the peoples they were ruling
b.	The colonial countries should expand their colonial empires	d.	The colonial powers should withdraw from the colonial nations

What did the 14 Points say about the oceans?

a.	All nations should be allowed to increase their navies to guard their own countries	c.	Freedom of the seas should be limited to European countries and Japan
b.	All nations should be free to travel and trade on the oceans of the world	d.	The Fourteen Points does not address this issue

What was the name of the organization that the 14 Points wanted to create to reduce tensions and settle disputes between the nations of the world?

a.	The United Nations	c.	The Treaty of Versailles
b.	The League of Nations	d.	The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Wilson’s Fourteen Points said that the boundaries of the nations in Europe should be drawn in such a way as to benefit the native people rather than the governments of Europe.

true

false the Points do not address this issue

THE ALLIES REJECT WILSON'S PLAN

Wilson’s naivete about the political aspects of securing a peace treaty showed itself in his failure to grasp the anger felt by the Allied leaders. The French premier, Georges Clemenceau, had lived through two German invasions of France and was determined to prevent future invasions . The British prime minister, Lloyd George, had just won reelection on the slogan "Make Germany Pay." The Italian prime minister, Vittorio Orlando, wanted control of Austrian territory. Contrary to custom, the peace conference did not include the defeated Central Powers . Nor did it include Russia or the smaller Allied nations. Instead, the "Big Four"U.S., England, France and Italy worked out the treaty's details among themselves . Wilson conceded on most of his Fourteen Points in return for the establishment of the League of Nations .

How did the allies receive Wilson’s Fourteen Points?

a.	They accepted them	c.	They accepted them at first but then rejected them
b.	They rejected them	d.	They though the Points were too harsh

Why didn’t the allies accept Wilson’s Fourteen Points at the Versailles peace talks?

a.	the allies wanted revenge on Germany, Austria and Turkey	c.	the allies did not respect Wilson the same way they do not respect President Bush
b.	the allies thought they did not go far enough in helping the Central Powers to recover from the war	d.	the allies turned against each other

Wilson agreed to give-up on his Fourteen Points if the Allies would

a.	make the U.S. an equal power in Europe	c.	agree to create the League of Nations
b.	help Germany to get back on its feet	d.	Wilson did not give up on his Fourteen Points

Treaty of Versailles

On Tune 28, 1919, the Big Four and the leaders of the defeated nations gathered in the Great Hall of the Palace of Versailles to sign the treaty. After four years of devastating warfare, everyone hoped that the; treaty would create stability for a rebuilt Europe . Instead, anger held sway.

PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY

The Treaty of Versailles established nine new nations-including Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia and shifted the boundaries of other nations . It carved four areas out of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to France and Great Britain as mandates, or temporary colonies . The two Allies were to administer their respective mandates until the areas were ready for self rule and then independence . The mandates included Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine (now Israel and Jordan).

The treaty demilitarized Germany, stripping it of its air force and most of its navy and reducing its army to 100,000 men. The treaty also required Germany to return Alsace-Lorraine to France and to pay reparations, or war damages, in the amount of 133 billion to the Allies . Also, the
treaty contained a war-guilt clause that forced Germany to acknowledge that it alone was responsible for World War I .

10.

Where was the Treaty of Versailles negotiated and signed

a.	Versailles England	c.	Versailles Germany
b.	Versailles France	d.	Versailles Russia

11.

Overall we can say that the Treaty of Versailles was

a.	very unfair to Germany, Austria and Turkey	c.	mildly unfair to Germany
b.	fair to Germany, Austria, and Turkey	d.	a good treaty

12.

The Treaty of Versailles put all of the guilt for WWI on

a.	Austria	c.	The Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
b.	Germany	d.	France

13.

The Treaty of Versailles

a.	allowed Germany to keep its armed forces	c.	allowed Germany to keep its navy but not its army
b.	allowed Germany to keep its army but not its navy	d.	reduced Germany’s armed forces to extremely low levels

14.

The Treaty of Versailles gave England and France control (mandates) over large areas of

a.	Asia	c.	South America
b.	the Middle East	d.	North America

THE TREATY'S WEAKNESSES

Such treatment of Germany weakened the ability of the Treaty of Versailles to serve as the basis of a lasting peace: in Europe. Three basic weaknesses provided the seeds of postwar international problems that eventually led to the Second World War.

First, the treaty humiliated Germany. Although German militarism had played a major role in starting the war in Europe, other nations had been no less guilty in provoking diplomatic crises before the war. The war-guilt clause caused Germans of all political viewpoints to detest the treaty. Furthermore, there was no way Germany could pay the huge financial reparations demanded by the Allies

Second, the Bolshevik government in Russia felt that the Big Four ignored its needs. For three years the Russians had fought with the Allies, suffering higher casualties than any other nation . However, Russia was excluded from the peace conference. Consequently, Russia lost more territory than Germany did. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (or Soviet Union), as Russia was officially called after 1922, became determined to regain its former territory.

The third issue that contributed to international instability resulted from decisions about what should be done with colonial territories . Germany was stripped of its colonial possessions in the Pacific, which might have helped it pay its reparations bill . Also, the treaty ignored the claims of colonized people for self-determination, as in the case of Southeast Asia.

In the early 20th century, much of Southeast Asia was a French colony called French Indochina. For decades, nationalist movements for independence had developed in what is now Vietnam. At Versailles, a young Vietnamese man later known as Ho Chi Minh appealed to President Wilson for help. Ho Chi Minh wanted a constitutional government that would give the Vietnamese people the same civil and political rights as the French . Wilson refused to consider Ho Chi Minh's proposal. Ho Chi Minh later founded the Indochina Communist Party and led the Vietnamese fight against French, and later American, forces until his death in 1969

15.

All of the following were weaknesses of the Treaty of Versailles except

a.	the treaty created the League of Nations	c.	the treaty humiliated Germany
b.	the treaty did not address the colonial issue	d.	the treaty excluded the Soviet Union from the negotiations

16.

We can safely say that the Treaty of Versailles was one of the major causes of World War Two

true

false

17.

How did Germany feel about the Treaty of Versailles?

a.	they respected it	c.	they hated it
b.	they accepted it	d.	they had no opinion about the treaty

18.

Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese revolutionary who wanted Wilson to help him get the country of _____ to give up control of Vietnam

a.	Germany	c.	France
b.	England	d.	Turkey

Opposition to the Treaty

When Wilson returned to the United States, he found several groups opposed to the treaty. Some people including Herbert Hoover, believed it was too harsh. Hoover noted, “The economic consequences alone will pull down all of Europe and thus injure the United States.” Others considered the treaty a sellout to imperialism that simply exchange one set of colonial rulers for another.

Some ethnic groups objected to the treaty because the new national boundaries it established did not satisfy their particular demands for self-determination. For example. before the war many Poles had been under German rule.; Now many Germans were under Polish rule. Furthermore, Wilson hadn’t tried to obtain Ireland’s independence from Great Britain.

19.

When Wilson returned to the United States

a.	he found most Americans in agreement with the Treaty of Versailles	c.	most Americans willing to trust his judgement
b.	a great deal of opposition to the Treaty of Versailles	d.	most Americans were unconcerned about the Treaty of Versailles

20.

Ethnic groups in the U.S., such as the Poles and Germans,

a.	Were very concerned about the fate of their people in Europe	c.	Were embarrassed about the way their native countries behaved in Europe
b.	Were unconcerned about Europe	d.	hated each other

Debate over the league of Nations

The main domestic opposition however, centered on the issue of the League of Nations.A few opponents believed that the League threatened the U.S . foreign policy which said we should stay clear of European entanglements. Conservative senators, headed by Henry Cabot Lodge, were suspicious of the provision for joint economic and military action against aggression, even though it was voluntary. They wanted the constitutional right of Congress to declare war also included in the treaty.

Wilson could have smothered these concerns if he had chosen the membership of the American delegation more carefully None was a senator, although the Senate would have to ratify the peace treaty.

Also, if Wilson had been more willing to accept a compromise on the League, it is quite likely that the Senate would have approved the treaty. Wilson, however, was exhausted from his efforts at Versailles . As a result, he became more cold, aloof, and rigid than ever.

Realizing that the Senate might not approve the treaty, Wilson decided to appeal directly to the people . Despite warnings from friends and doctors that his health was fragile, he set out in September 1919 on an 8,000-mile tour. He delivered 35 speeches in 22 days, explaining why the United States should join the League of Nations. On October 2, he collapsed and was rushed back to the White House . Wilson had suffered a stroke (a blood clot in the brain) and lay partially paralyzed for more than two months . He could not even meet with his cabinet, and his once-powerful voice was no more than a thick whisper

When the treaty came up for a vote in the Senate in November 1919, Senator Lodge introduced a number of amendments. Lodge and a large group of senators feared that U.S. membership in the League would force the United States to form its foreign policy in accord with other members of the League . Most Americans opposed such limitations on American action . Although the Senate rejected the amendments, it also failed to ratify the treaty. Wilson, however, refused to compromise with Lodge and other senators over their reservations about the League . "I will not play for position," I cannot stand retreat from conscientious duty." The treaty came up again in March 1920. The Senate again rejected the Lodge amendments and again failed to muster enough votes for ratification .

The United States finally signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921, after Wilson was no longer president. The United States never joined the League of Nations, but it maintained an unofficial observer at League meetings

21.

A large part of the reason the U.S. rejected the League of Nations was due to

a.	American hatred for Europe	c.	Wilson’s wife
b.	poor planning on the part of Wilson and lack of leadership	d.	the German people in America

22.

The main opposition to the League of Nations came from

a.	the House of Representatives who had to ratify it	c.	the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Army, Navy)
b.	the Senate who had to ratify it	d.	the business community

23.

The main concern that Americans had about the League of Nations was that the U.S. might

a.	take away American sovereignty	c.	take away America’s colonies
b.	make Europe more powerful than the U.S.	d.	make Germany and Japan too strong

The Legacy of the War

In 1923, General Pershing delivered a speech in which he complained about the aftermath of the war.

Pershing believed that, because the kaiser's government had censored newspapers during the war, most Germans were unaware that the Allies had been pushing their soldiers back or that the German General Staff itself had demanded an end to the war. Many Germans were shocked by the armistice and incensed at the Treaty of Versailles

To make matters worse, postwar economic conditions-although bad all over Europe-were especially desperate in Germany. A severe depression developed in 1923, and millions of workers lost their jobs. The mark, the German currency unit, was nearly worthless. People burned paper money for fuel and carted baskets of marks with them when they went grocery shopping

Circumstances in Germany drove many Germans to search for scapegoats . One former Austrian corporal, Adolf Hitler, blamed German problems on Jews and socialists in the Weimar Republic, the government in Germany following World War I. In 1933, Hitler and his Nazi Party won control of the German government and embarked on a militaristic policy that led directly to the Second World War. In the 1920s, most Americans did not want to be bothered with the future of Europe . The war had strengthened their desire to stay out of European affairs. Most desired a "return to normalcy."

24.

World War One was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.” It was a major cause for

a.	World War Two	d.	all of these
b.	the rise of Adolf Hitler	e.	none of these
c.	the slaughter of the Jews in Europe

25.

Which statement is true

a.	Both Germany and America were angry about the Treaty of Versailles and wanted to overturn it	c.	the U.S. wanted to ignored the problems in Europe and get back to normal
b.	Germany learned to ignore the Treaty of Versailles	d.	the U.S. realized that World War Two was coming and worked to avert it