[juliana]

Did Woodrow Wilson achieve all his 14 points?

Please can you provide me with information on the treaties of 1919 concerning the first world war?

[Mr S Drew]

You will find a list of Wilson's 14 points here, written for school students.

In order to answer your own question you need to examine each of the points and think about what actually happened in the world after 1919. Then you will be able to come to a clear conclusion for each one.

For instance:

Quote

7 Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated and restored, without any attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one another. Without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired. (Self-determination).

This was achieved with great ease after the war. The German troops left Belgium and the country regained its total independence as it had had before World War I. So this could be called a success. However, this happened anyway, regardless of the ideas and wishes of the US President.

However:

Quote

5 A free, open-minded and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions of sovereignty the interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight with the equitable claims of the government whose title is to be determined.
(Self-determination).

This was clearly a failure. The USA was not able to force the colonial powers of Europe (UK, France, Holland, Belgium etc.) to get rid of their colonies. In fact colonial power spread after World War I as Britain took over former German and Turkish areas in the Africa and the Middle East.

So for each one you need to look at what was the aim of Wilson and compare this to what actually happened. You will also need to be able to explain why the point was either achieved or not.

[maryjblige]

I had my History exam today, and i am very perplexed about a question in my essay section.
The question was, "Why did the Allies impose a tough peace settlement on Germany?"
My friends discussed the answers they wrote and mine was totally different.
Most of them wrote about getting revenge at the Germans, dislike of war, etc
I wrote about what happened in the 1st WW, namely, the Cost, the Damages and the Casualties.
Can anybody tell me whether my answer was off tangent or am i on track?
Thank you

[Mr Field]

Firstly I would not worry about something that has now been completed. It cannot be changed.

Any answer examining why the allies imposed a tough peace settlement on Germany would be best to consider both what you mention about the effects of World War I and what you say your colleages mention about the aftermath.

So, both you and your friends are at least partly on track. You're all talking about very similar things.

It's done now - if you are concerned do talk about it with your history teacher. But don't worry!

[Miss Buxton]

Mr Field has given you some very good advice:

Have you tried these websites?
Very good revision guidance on Modern World History...

http://www.johndclare.net/

and

http://www.schoolhis...co.uk/revision/

[maryjblige]

Hello.
Thank you for the replies, Mr. Field and Ms. Buxton. Yes, i did visit John D Clare's website and i think his site is very useful
Once again,
thank you very much

[Miss Buxton]

Glad we could help!

[sweetie]

Hi, I am doing an essay on the treaty of versailles, and I really must know, who, if any of the "big 3" was the MOST satisfied with the treaty of versailles, and why? Thank you very much for your help.

[Mrs Faithorn]

Sorry, Sweetie, but this is your essay and it is not our policy to 'do your work for you' . However we are prepared to help.

In order to answer your question what you need to do is to look at the aims that each of the 'Big Three' had when drawing up the Treaty of Versailles and then look at all the main terms of the treaty to see how far each of them had achieved their aims.

For example (and it is only an example):

Aim
Clemenceau wanted to weaken Germany militarily so much that they would never be able to attack France again.

Achievement at Versailles
Germany to have an army of only 100,000 men, no airforce, only 6 light battleships and no submarines and the Rhineland was to be demiliitarised thus creating a 'buffer zone' between France and Germany.

Now ask yourself: would Clemenceau be pleased about that and if so, why?

The best way of tackling this is to make a chart showing the names of each of the Big Three, what their aims were and then match these against the relevant parts of the Treay. You should then be able to see quite clearly where each man got what he wanted and - even more importantly - where he did not. Then you will be in a position to judge whether any one of them would be more satisfied .

You probably already have all the information you need from your lessons and textbook, but if not you will find these websites helpful:

http://www.johndclar...e_treaties1.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/treat..._versailles.htm
http://www.johndclar..._IGCSEnotes.htm

The last of these links is particularly helpful for your question as you will see.

[Miss Buxton]

1 http://www.johndclare.net/

follow the weblink on the page for information/images/sources on the Treaty of Versailles.


2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/...illesrev1.shtml


3 http://www.rpfuller..../history/2.html
Information on the Treaty of Versailles.

4 http://www.lib.byu.e...versailles.html
From the WWI document archive, the ToV online...read the document.


5 http://www.fordham.e...versailles.html
the modern history source book of the ToV


6 http://www.west-teq.net/~dmf/vers.htm
information on the ToV

[Survivor]

Umm, i was looking at your information on why the treaty was so significant, and in one paragraph it said: "The final treaty was not popular."

What was the last treaty?

Thanks!

[Mrs Faithorn]

I'm not too sure which site/web page you are thinking of here but I think that probably what is meant is that the terms of the Treaty of Versailles that were finally decided after months of negotiation were not popular (with the Germans in particular!)

In other words what you are thinking is something you have never heard of is actually the Treaty of Versailles that you have learned about.

However if you can give a particular webpage (the URL) then we can explain further. Right now I am just making a 'sensible guess'.

[Survivor]

It was here... http://www.schoolhis...ersailles.shtml just after the picture with the small boy in it.

[Mr R Drew]

Mrs Faithorn is right. the comment refers to the treaty as it was finally published, after many negotiations.

you have to consider the German perspectivew on the situation:

~ they had lived under a severely censored press during the war, they genuinely believed that the war had ended in a draw
~ they did not feel that they had started the war - it had been self-defence
~ they believed that the 'fair peace' promised by US president Wilson would be delivered
~ their new government was very unstable and needed help not further problems

so the final treaty - far more like the french demands than the US hopes - turned out not only to be very harsh but unexpectedly harsh

[Mrs Faithorn]

Thanks for giving the URL.

Then the answer I gave before is correct (I guessed correctly). The sentence "The final treaty was not popular" refers to the Treaty that was eventually/finally agreed after several months of negotiations in Paris.

If this still isn't clear to you then do post again.