We started the day by discussing "how to read" for understanding and then we each got a piece of Macmillan's Paris 1919. I asked that you please post a comment to the blog to summarize your learning. Everyone should write four-or-so sentences outlining the name of the group you researched and what they wanted from the peace process as they arrived in Paris in 1919. Tomorrow we'll have a roundtable discussion and play diplomats.
I also introduced a Google Presentation (like a Google Doc) to curate our vocabulary terms from this first unit. The answers are in the Falk handbook and they come in chronological order. We each selected one word and I asked that you have them done before Wednesday's class. Here is the LINK.
Finally, I assigned Demarco pp 29-32 (including Ex 2 a-e) as your reading homework. Remember, you need only answer the questions in point form, they are for you, not me.
Marin P
ReplyDeleteRumania wants to be treated with respect and have the right to justice. Rumania wants recognition for being loyal to the allies; they think Serbia wasn’t as loyal as Rumania. Rumania wants most of Hungary and a slice of Russia. Rumania claims the whole of Banat, which is a highly wanted place. Banat was promised to the Rumanians by the Allies through a secret clause of the treaty of Bucharest as a promise for entering the war. Rumanians say they have ethnic ties to Banat. Rumania is a very unique country with different ways of doing things. Rumania was given the largest portion of Banat; Serbia got the rest. Rumanians believe it was a betrayal of the Rumanian nation.
The president of the United States during the First World War, Woodrow Wilson, was a man of big ideas. He didn't start as a foreign policy president, which may have been one of the reasons that both his supporters and opposers disagreed with his decision to board a ship to the Paris Peace Treaty. Wilson didn't want the United States to go to war, so he didn't join until much later, when he felt Germany left him no other choice. He began his campaign for president with the intent of remaining neutral, but eventually sided with the Allies against Germany. He believed the making of the peace to be as important as the winning of the war. Woodrow Wilson initially expected to go to Paris only to arrange the main outlines of the peace statements, but the process went quicker than expected, so he stayed for 6 months (start to finish of the Paris Peace Treaty negotiations).
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ReplyDeleteRussia was not invited to the Paris Peace Treaty in 1919 and so they did not attend. Russia started off as an ally off France, helping to save them from defeat when they attacked Germany, but later made peace with Germany, which caused much confusion. Many horrible rumors about Russia circulated. Russia was know as the unknown land, with little or no communication, and therefore it was hard to know that theses rumors were true. Russia was though of as betraying France because they had given away land to Germany, which allowed Germany to move thousands of troops to the front line. Because of this France had the attitude that it didn’t matter if Russia attended. Ultimately, It was thought that the Russians deserved to be heard.
Ann
ReplyDeleteBy the beginning of the first world war Japan was an anomaly amongst the superpowers of the white, western nations. They had powerful industries and were able to support themselves without relying on help from a western motherland. As the Japanese population grew the government realized that they needed more resources and land to support its people and began looking towards China to do so. In the first world war the Japanese interests were concentrated in the East and offered little help to the Western front which made Britain and the US more distrustful of them. Going into the Paris Peace Conferences Japan had three goals: get a clause about racial equality in the League of Nations, maintain control of the North Pacific Islands, and keep German lands in China. They were able to get the islands, though the US gave them up unwillingly, because the US wanted to stop Japanese expansion into China more. The racial equality clause was perhaps the most important as the Japanese government were fearing a war of Whites vs. Japanese and wanted to legally stop any discrimination. The Japanese did not get their racial equality clause due to disagreement of the British colonies and a strong push against it from the US. As we look towards the second world war the situation with the US continued to heat up as both their navy’s looked to expand in the Pacific.
These look great so far - you've added more detail than I expected!
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ReplyDeleteThe Italians were angry at the Greeks for their bold claims on Albanian and Turkish territory. The aggression that the Greek prime minister should toward the Turks was mainly do to an incident in his childhood involving Turkish terrorists although he held himself in a very diplomatic way. He wanted to expand the Greek boarders into half of Albania and most of Turkey. After gaining considerable territory in the west he announced that he would continue his expansion into the east. He wanted a large portion of the artifacts involving ancient Greek history from Turkey. He also felt that too much of Greek society involved Turkish customs.
Kazuki
ReplyDeleteThe Treaty of Versailles in 1919, formerly one of the German colonies the mandate of the Ottoman Empire become a discussion. Turkey having a corrupt government, with the help with outside guidance, the talk about splitting Arab territories and northeast frontier arose. Britain not wanting the responsibility of peacekeeping within the empire, Lloyd George hinted and offered the United States as mandatory power for at least the Armenia and the strait. With money, power and peace with the Ottoman Empire, United States was the perfect candidate to run Turkish areas. British Admirals not wanting see United States having power and concerned religious leader in the area, Lloyd George simply ignored their objections. Few months of negotiating with leaders around the nations, undoubtedly the end result came to a verdict. The United States would take mandate of Armenia.
Jennifer-
ReplyDeleteThe story of Poland becoming a country again is a great one. They had a very successful time at the Paris Peace Conference. Just Poland’s borders themselves had more meetings then any other conference. Józef Piłsudski, who was born into a polish noble family, spent many years trying to recreate poland. His mother taught him all the history of his country, making his drive to build it again very high. He also had many opponents, including conservatives afraid of his socialism. However, throughout all the conferences, Britain themselves could care less. Poland was given land touching the sea for trade routes, and Paris took them under their wing helping Poland out.
After WWI, the Austrians feared famine and unemployment, and believed becoming a part of Germany was the only way to protect their prosperity. Austria was a small country, and it’s problems were unimportant to the Council of Four. The first copy of the Peace Treaty they received was messy and incomplete. When the Austrian President Renner received the official terms for the treaty, he was very unpleased with the result. Austria had received harsher terms than Germany. The Austrains submitted their complaints and managed to obtain some important concessions, such as a clause prohibiting Austria’s art treasures from being taken. Austria also asked for a strip of territory from the western edge of Hungary, arguing that it’s inhabitants were mostly German. They were granted the land, becoming the only defeated nation to gain new territory at the Peace Conference.
ReplyDeleteLots of thought is going into your comments. Remember to try to identify what your group's leader(s) wanted to achieve through the peace process. In the past the loser(s) lost land and the winner(s) won land. Wilson's 14 Points put that model in question.
ReplyDeleteTo summarize, the Colonies/Mandates wanted to join and help France in hopes to unite their colonies in the South and North. France needed what the Colonies had: manpower. Colonies were a symbol of power. If the colonies of Asia, Africa and the French united there was a chance of restoring balance. Mandates were a proposed solution to the Supreme Council, supported strongly by the US and Britain. The word "mandate" having a pleasant sound to it. Protection. However, others such as Minister Pichon disagreed completely, wondering why the French should spend time and money looking after its mandates as opposed to asking for volunteers to defend them when the time came.
ReplyDelete"France would not have survived the German attack without it's Colonial Soldiers." Paris 1919, Macmillian 2003
I read chapter 16: Deadlock Over the German Terms. This chapter was about the complications France, Britain, and the US faced when deciding the exact terms Germany would be signing in the 1919 Treaty of Versaille. France, who was represented by Clemenceau, wanted Rhineland and the Saars back. However, their argument for why they deserved both was unsound and Lloyd-George (Britain's Prime Minister) and Wilson (America's President) did not agree. This was just the beginning of the issues. Of the Big Three, Britain and France had very different points of view on how Germany should be treated. France wanted Germany to be completely broken down, as they had been in the war. Britain was worried that if the terms were too harsh they would push Germany into a communist revolution like what was happening in Hungary at the time. These two butted heads over Rhineland and the Saars for months which essentially led Wilson to threaten giving up and leaving. France back tracked and eventually an agreement was made that all could at least partially agree on. The Saar would be autonomous though France had control over the coal mines there, and France was allowed temporary occupation of the Rhineland. Though neither Poincaré, who was President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, or Lloyd-George were happy with the Rhineland terms the terms still passed and all three countries signed the Treaty. Though France was not happy at the time in hindsight it became obvious that they had argued the best deal possible. An alliance between the big three remained and Rhineland was kept safe.
ReplyDeleteAfter the devastating battles of World War One, France, and especially Paris went through a stage of repair, renewal and seeing the long-lasting effects of the war. Those with money could still manage to live a good life, but it was very different for the war-torn families who were left with little means. There were huge shortages of basic necessities such as bread, milk and coal-the fuel needed for so much in those days. The political side of France saw a huge split occur, with the left-wing press calling for revolution and the right wing press calling for repression. The peace treaties outlined the wants and needs for reparation and future alliances, with sights set on Russia for manpower and Britain for their powerful Navy. However, these countries were in relapse after as much as 50% of their armies had been slaughtered in the battles. France demanded more security, as they felt uneasy sharing so much land in borders with Germany. Throughout the peace treaties, Clemenceau managed to get on the nerves of the other leaders and was very problematic.
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