A group of British military officers in attendance at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Some men are standing and others are seated.

Source: British Air Section at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Probert, H. (1991), Wikimedia

The Paris Peace Conference of January 12, 1919, brought together the victors of World War I - France, Great Britain, the United States, and Italy. The victorious nations met at the palace at Versailles, just outside of Paris, France, to discuss the fate of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Each nation brought a set of beliefs and attitudes about what should be done. The actual conference lasted a year (officially ended Jan. 20, 1920).

Below is a summary of the attitudes of the major nations involved in the Treaty of Versailles.

What should be in the treaty??

  Attitudes towards Germany during the Paris Peace Conference
Britain
  • Germany should be punished.
  • Germany should not be crippled.
  • Germany was a future potential trading partner.
  • Unjust treatment of Germany might lead to future war.
  • Unjust treatment of Germany might make Germany turn to Communism.
  • There was strong support for League of Nations.
France
  • Germany should be crippled.
  • Germany should pay reparations.
  • Germany should lose large amounts of land.
  • There was strong support for League of Nations.
USA
  • Germany should be punished.
  • Treaty should not be unjust.
  • The League of Nations was considered a good idea.

Table adapted from the National Archives of the United Kingdom

The Allied (Triple Entente) Leaders following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles: British Prime Minister-Lloyd George, Italian Prime Minister-Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, French Prime Minister-Georges Clemenceau, U.S. President-Woodrow Wilson.

Source: Council of Four Versailles, Capt. Jackson, US Army Signal Corps, Wikimedia

The actual treaty

In May of 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was completed. Germany had not been invited to the Paris Peace Conference and waited anxiously for the results. Would they be treated fairly? Would the victorious nations give out harsh punishments? Here's what was decided:

Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required. You have learned about the goals of the victorious nations (United States, Great Britain, and France) and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In the columns below, CLICK whether or not you believe the terms of the treaty were fair or unfair to Germany. What are your column totals?