Questions from Reading: Securing the Peace

1. Why did Woodrow Wilson not take any Republicans with him to Europe for the Peace Conference?

The majority of Republicans did not approve of Wilson's plans for the treaty. Senator Henry Cabot, a prominent Republican, was a particularly staunch opponent of Wilson's 14 points; he influenced many other Republicans' views. Wilson brought no Republicans on his European trip in order to make sure that his presentations there were well supported.

2. Why was Wilson welcomed in Paris?

Parisians and other Europeans who flocked to Paris for Wilson's visit had already read his 14 points prior to his arrival. They were thrilled with it - many hoped that Wilson's plan would finally give their ethnic group the representation that they wanted, and everyone thought that Wilson would truly bring peace and unity to Europe.

3. The idea of self-rule, which Wilson advocated, was not included in the Treaty to the extent Wilson had hoped. Why not?

The other three members of the Big Four saw post-war Europe as heading towards something very different than what Wilson envisioned; they were more set on revenge than creating unity or granting self-rule to their colonies. They were totally concerned with punishing Germany and getting the money that they had lost back; in order for Wilson to get any of his points to go through, he had to back down on the self-rule aspect of his plan.

4. The Allied Big Four - Wilson, Lloyd George, Orlando, and Clemenceau - discussed the question of whether to invite the conquered Germans and the new Russian Bolsehvik government to the Versailles Conference and its negotiations but decided against it. Was the decision justified? Explain your reasoning.

This was not justified in any way. Yes, there was tension between the Big Four and Germany, and yes, Russia's new government was unstable and not condoned by much of Europe. However, signing a peace treaty with only half of the warring countries participating is inconceivable. By ignoring Germany, the Big Four only angered it further, lessening their chances of Germany submitting to their demands. As for Russia, by not inviting Russia to take part in the treaty debates, the Big Four created more tension and insulted Russia's new government. It would seem that when a new, unstable government arises, one would want to include it and try to befriend it, rather than automatically angering it.

5. Which Big Four leader showed up at the Paris Conference with the most strenght to influence the proceedings? Which was the weakest? Why?

Wilson showed up at the Paris Conference with the most strength to influence the proceedings, whereas Orlando showed up with the least strength. Wilson may not have been as deeply involved in the war, but it was thanks to him that the war had ended with the Allies on top; his plan was well-thought out and he was eager to present it. Orlando had the least strength, having been the last to join the Allies - Italy was not as militarily or monetarily sound as the US, France, or Britain.

6. Why did Wilson have such difficulty seeing his Fourteen Points written into the Peace Plan?

The other members of the Big Four were far too set on revenge to consider all of Wilson's points. They did not care about readjusting borders and all of the other details Wilson wanted considered; they simply wanted to punish Germany and get the blame off of themselves.

7. Explain Article X of the League of Nations Covenant. What problems with the covenant did some Americans have?

Article X stated that every member of the League of Nations would respect the borders laid out by the treat drawn up at Versailles, and each member would do their best to uphold these borders if danger arose, by either financial or military aid. Many Americans felt that this was working directly against America's isolationism policy; they worried that if American involved itself too much in Europe, in affairs that did not specifically concern it, it would simply put America at risk.

Woodrow Wilson Fights For Peace

1. What was Wilson's 14th Point?

Wilson's 14th proposed setting up a League of Nations in which countries could talk through diplomatic issues so that going to war could be avoided whenever possible.
2. What terms of the treaty specifically affected Germany?

The treaty forbid Germany from having an army. It also forced Germany to repay $33 billion dollars to the Allies - money that Germany did not have. Finally, the treaty forced Germany to give the region of Alsace-Lorraine back to France. Also, the treaty forced Germany to take full responsibility for the war.
3. What were the weaknesses of the treaty?

The treaty had many unforeseen weaknesses. Firstly, the treaty embarrassed Germany. How could a stable nation be rebuilt if one of its parts is being ridiculed? Also, the treaty asked Germany to pay the Allies vast sums of money - it was not taken into consideration that Germany didn't have nearly that much money. Thirdly, although Russia had participated heavily in the war, it was not included in the conference. It also lost a lot of land - even more than Germany did. Finally, the treaty completely ignored certain groups of people - such as the Vietnamese citizens, who were vying for rights equaled those of Western citizens.
4. Why did Henry Cabot Lodge object to the treaty?

Lodge believed that the League would interfere with the U.S.' policy of isolationism. He was particularly suspicious of the League's call for joint military and financial action against any insubordination - even though involvement in such situations would be completely voluntary.
5. How did Wilson help bring about the Senate's rejection of the treaty?

Wilson ignored the Republican majority and picked unpopular candidates for his delegation. Traveling throughout the country made him too ill to continue to give speeches to the Senate; even then, he absolutely refused to compromise. Had he been a little more willing to bend, the treaty might have been passed.
6. What circumstances at this time would eventually lead many Germans to support Adolf Hitler?

Many Germans were outraged at the treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles - they had expected Wilson to make things even across Europe, but instead, they got severely undercut. They had lost land, men, money, and dignity, all with nothing to show for it. Adolf Hitler promised a vision of a new, strong, constantly victorious Germany, which everyone would respect - how could anyone say no?
7. Who is George Clemenceau?

George Clemenceau was the French premier at the time of WWI.
8. Who is David Lloyd George?

David Lloyd George was the British prime minister at the time of WWI.
9. Describe the participation of Russia at the peace conference.

Russia had no involvement in the peace conference - it was specifically excluded from negotiations.

The War At Home

What were some things accomplished by the following wartime agencies and laws?

1. War Industries Board: Encouraged companies to cut down on waste and mass-produce products more efficiently; caused industrial production to rise by 20%, but prices to rise exponentially as well; companies profited but citizens suffered.
2. Railroad Administration: Regulated the railroads as the WIB regulated factories.
3. Fuel Administration: Watched coal supplies and rationed heating oil; introduced and popularized Daylight Savings Time in order to save fuel.
4. National War Labor Board: Moderated issues that arose between workers and managers; took away draft exemptions from workers who caused problems; also worked to improve work conditions - supported eight hour days, safety inspections, child labor bans.
5. Food Administration: Helped to ration food by promoting the "gospel of the clean plate" and days where you would go without something: one day a week without sweets, one day without meat, two without wheat, and two without pork; encouraged restaurants to reduce waste; promoted the planting of victory gardens to supplement home kitchens; tripled food shipments to the Allies.
6. Committee on Public Information: Nation's first propaganda agency; George Creel convinced thousands of artists to create posters, cartoons, paintings, and statues to promote patriotism and the war; distributed thousands of pamphlets and other literature promoting the war; had "Four Minute Men" promote joining up and sell war bonds; these efforts angered many opponents of the war.
7. Espionage and Sedition Acts: stated that a person could be fined up to $10,000 or incarcerated for 20 years for interfering with the war effort or saying anything disloyal about the war or the government; led to over 2,000 prosecutions, about 1/2 of which were convicted; targeted socialists and labor leaders; dissenters were sent to jail, fined, or even deported.

Briefly explain why Bernard M. Baruch and George Creel are significant historical figures.

Bernard M. Baruch is a significant historical figure because he was the leader of the WIB - it was under his organization that conservation and mass production techniques to support a war effort became popular. We still use some of the ideas that he pushed forwards today - even if not to the extent that the WIB used the, Baruch's ideas and motives underly our war effort today.

George Creel is an important historical figure because he was the head of the first national propaganda organization. Without him, propaganda would never have gotten going in such a big way, for it was during WWI that it got its start. Creel came up with techniques to intrigue the public and tug at their heartstrings, often shaming them into contributing to the war effort. Creel is significant because he forwarded a new technique that would be used widely in every war that America would fight in the future.

The U.S. Enters World War I

1. How did the United States raise an army?
In order to gather enough men to create an effective army, Congressed passed the Secret Service Act. This forced men to register for the draft - they would then be selected at random to be sent into the war. Soldiers trained for hours every day, in order to prepare for battle.

2. How did U.S. soldiers help win the war?
First, America suggested that Britain use the convoy system to cut down on shipping losses (this worked very well). Next, the US created a 230 mile blockade from northern Scotland to Novia Scotia to prevent German U-Boats from going into the Atlantic. The American soldiers were greatly useful: fresh and passionate, they had an energy that the European soldiers who had been fighting for years already lacked. After Russia pulled out of the war, the Americans were highly influential in fighting Germany out of France. With their help, the tide quickly turned.

3. What were the estimated economic costs of the war?
The estimated economic cost of the war was $338 billion.

4. What did the war cost in terms of the number of civilian deaths; military deaths?; injuries?; and refugees?

Civilian deaths: 11 million
Military deaths: 11 million

Injuries: 20 million

Refugees: 10 million

5. Define armistice.

An armistice is a truce or peace agreement that ends a conflict.