Paris+Peace+Conference

Carleigh Zinn's page =Paris Peace Conference=

The Paris Peace Conference took place from January 12th of 1919 until January 16 of 1920. The Allied Powers gathered together to decide what Germany’s fate would be after WWI. Neither Germany nor Russia were invited to this conference. The Big Four were the largest diplomatic representatives at the PPC. They were Woodrow Wilson of the U.S., Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy & David Lloyd George of Great Britain. All the nations met, discussed & decided on a set of treaties, The Big Four decided on the final changes to Europe's borders.

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Participants
Over 30 countries were represented including Canada, France, the U.K., the U.S., Italy, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, Union of South Africa, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hejaz, Honduras, the Republic of China, Yugoslavia, Cuba, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Czechoslovakia, Panama, Liberia & Nicaragua.

Treaties at the Paris Peace Conference
· The Treaty of Versailles with the Weimar Republic. · The Treaty of Saint-Germain with Austria. · The Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria. · The Treaty of Trianon with Hungary. · The Treaty of Sevres with the Ottoman Empire (now known as Russia).

Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the strongest treaty at the PPC because it answered the biggest questions. It was based off the collected information gathered by a group of elected individuals whom looked over each countries territorial & financial records. The Allies refused to negotiate the terms with Germany; they had no say in the matter. The treaty included Article 231 (the War Guilt Clause) which Germany was forced to sign, making it take full responsibility for WWI. Germany had to pay 132 billion gold marks in war reparations. Germany's military was greatly reduced & a reduction of arms agreement was made. The Rhineland was de-militarized; Alsace & Lorraine were returned to France. Germany also lost all of its colonies along with parts of its borders. Coal & other minerals were extracted from the Saar & were used to pay off reparations. The only nation to not sign the Treaty of Versailles was China.

Racial Equality Proposal
The Racial Equality Proposal came from the Japanese representatives at the conference. The Japanese wanted the League to see that all people are equal. Japan wanted to have the same status as the Great Powers. This proposal conflicted with the norms of the Western dominated international system & its basic beliefs; the proposal was never fully accepted into the League. Japan was the only country to receive only half of the rights Germany had at the PPC, Japan left the Conference in a rage.

The League of Nations
U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson, brought his 14 points to the PPC, hoping to bring peace to all nations. Wilson was unable to convince Lloyd George & Clemenceau to believe in his 14 points, but the conference favored his point on forming the League of Nations. The League wanted countries to negotiate & form treaties openly with each other, for the sea to be a free trade route for all nations & that all of the League’s members would have collective security. The document detailing the formation of the League & its beliefs was taken from Europe to the U.S. & would be reviewed by Congress. Congress refused Article 10 of the document which showed the U.S.’s isolationist attitude; Article 10 forces all members of the League to defend a member’s country that is under attack. Without Congress’s approval, the U.S. was labeled as weak at the PPC, giving Britain & France a greater advantage. The U.S. did not want to be so harsh on Germany, so the U.S. signed different treaties with Germany, Austria & Hungary in 1921 which Congress approved. Wilson refused to make any compromises with the U.S. Republicans. The League was suppose to bring lasting peace to the world, when in reality it was a biased club in which countries only carried about themselves.

The Mandate System
The League decided on a set of mandates that would control the colonies & territories of Germany & Turkey. “Trusteeship” are territories that when evaluated are unable to govern themselves & are entrusted to another state, this states mandate is to build the nation, creating a foundation for self-determination & independence. Each country was enforced to report back to the League on a yearly basis. Mandates came in 3 categories: **Class A:** former Russian territories which were almost developed nation states, but still required financial & authoritative assistance, Iraq & Jordan to name a few. **Class B:** former German colonies which required mandatory authoritative control & power, Tanzania & the Cameroons are examples. **Class C:** former German colonies which were to be governed as part of the territory of the mandated nation; German New Guinea which joined the British colony of Papua became an Australia trusteeship. Decisions on which nation was to receive which territory were made by the Sykes-Picot Agreement of May 16, 1917.

Countries Approach
Each country had their own list of demands to bring to the PPC. Australia wanted a mandate for New Guinea, war reparations & they rejected the Japanese racial equality proposal. President Woodrow Wilson asked the Australian Prime Minister Hughes if he enjoyed profiting from Germany’s misery, Hughes answered with an egomaniacal yes; this comment gave Hughes a self centered attitude. Canada almost wasn’t allowed at the PPC, because many nations considered Canada to be part of Britain, giving Britain an extra vote. Lloyd George was able to persuade the U.S. to give Canada its own seat. Clemenceau wanted to weaken Germany’s armed forces & its economic power. He needed the support from Britain & the U.S.A. to make a difference. Some French citizens wanted Germany to be broken apart & be put back into a collection of states which existed before 1870. France continued to argue, saying it needed protect against Germany. Lloyd George wanted the security of France, removal of German High Seas Fleet, territorial settlements & support of Wilson’s League of Nations. Vittorio Orlando had territorial demands, none were met & Orlando left the PPC in anger.

Germany's Approach
Germany & its allies weren’t allowed at the PPC & had no say in signing the treaties or any form of treaty negotiations. Looking back on history, we realize that all the sanctions put on Germany humiliated it & placed a devastating economic burden upon it, Lloyd George predicted this would start a war.