The World after the Great War

1. The World after the Great War Treaty of Versailles, Depression, and China & Japan

2. World War 1: The Great War

3. Costs of War 8.5 Million Dead Europe in ruins Pandemic of Influenza kills 20 Million more people Postwar animosity that would haunt the world Europe loses its innocence, its Romanticism, its optimism, and its faith

4. Paris Peace Conference • Big Three at the Paris Peace Conference dictated terms • Woodrow Wilson (U.S.A)- Urged peace without victory as he sought to build a new world order • David Lloyd George (Great Britain) • Georges Clemenceau (France)- Fiercely anti-German • Wilson’s 14 Points focused on Self-determination, spreading democracy, and creating a United World against future wars- “League of Nations” • Many other nations were in attendance; Germany and the Soviet Union were not

5. Clemenceau, Wilson, and Lloyd George

6. Paris Peace Conference • Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points were largely ignored in favor of retaliation and quick fixes. • Wilson did help create a League of Nations which failed • The league’s purpose was to promote disarmament and prevent war. • The league had not military force of its own, so it depended on the help of its member states. • U.S. Congress did not allow the U.S. to join this League • The Treaty of Versailles was drafted and Germany was summoned to sign it

8. Treaty of Versailles War guilt clause forced Germany to assume full blame for causing the war Germany was forced to pay huge reparations that would destroy the already damaged German economy. Germany was to give up Alsace & Lorraine to France It also gave up land on the east to Poland Germany also was stripped of its overseas colonies and forced to give up hundreds of miles of land on its Eastern and Western borders Germany forced to greatly decrease the size & power of its military.

10. Other Changes following Treaty The Austro-Hungarian Empire was divided into several new national states. Turkey lost its territories in the Middle East A new independent Poland was created giving the nation sovereignty for the first time since 1794

11. Economic Depression European Nations owed huge war debts Returning Veterans needed jobs War-ravaged lands required massive rebuilding The Russian Revolution which was occurring during these economic hardships led many to fear the spread of communism. Depression was worst in Germany, where the payment of massive reparations and the loss of their most resource rich lands led German money to become practically worthless.

12. German Inflation

13. Post WWI U.S. The United States emerged from the war as the world’s greatest economic power During the war, Britain & France had purchased war goods from the United States on credit. Now they were deeply in debt. Following the war American consumers soon began buying mass-produced goods made in American factories. One of the most important factors promoting American prosperity was the invention of the automobile which came into widespread use in the U.S. following WWI

15. U.S. Great Depression Due to overproduction, margin buying, real estate over speculation and various other reasons, the United States fell into its Great Depression after the Stock Market crash of October 1929. This led the Global Depression to grow more severe Extremists proclaimed an end to capitalism and pointed to the failure of Democracy to fix problems Left Wing Extremists- Communist, Socialist Right Wing Extremists- Intense Nationalism, Virtues of Authoritarianism, need to rearm

17. Treaty of Versailles Revisited • The Treaty also angered Italy, because promised land from Austria-Hungary was not given to them • Self Determination led to the creation Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Serb dominated Yugoslavia • Due to overlap in ethnic boundaries, tensions would continue in Eastern Europe • Japan protested the refusal of European nations to recognize its claims in China

18. Japan • During 19th Century European Imperialism Japan radically changed their society to become more Western • Rather than be exploited by the West, they wanted to be seen as equals • During WWI, the Japanese economy grew as its exports to allied nations soared. • It also used the time period to exert greater power over East Asia • It sought further rights in China with its 21 Demands

21. China China had been the premiere Asian power for most of its existence. It saw itself as the center of the world During the era of European Imperialism China’s unwillingness to adapt and change led it to become exploited and embarrassed China went through great change and turmoil in the early 1900’s as it tried to regain its former glory Seeing China’s weakness, Japan sought to exploit and control China

23. Japan vs. China Japan (a small island) sought to colonize all of Asia for its own use The once great China would be Japan’s greatest prize Japan defeated China in both Sino-Japanese Wars Japan used brutal force to take and maintain control of China, Korea, and other Asian nations One such example is the Rape of Nanking where Japan murdered almost 300,000 people in a matter of days.

25. Treaty of Versailles Song Activity • You will be assigned either the Allies perspective or the German perspective at the Treaty of Versailles • Use at least 7 of the following words or concepts to make a song from your assigned perspective: • Treaty of Versailles • Reparations • Buffer Zone • Germany • Destruction • War to end Wars • Punishment • Payback • War Guilt • Inflation • Lost Land • Respect • Limited Military • Embarrassment • France