The Costs and Damages of World War I
At the end of the war, 8.5 to 10 million soldiers had died, and Germany suffered a majority of the losses. 21 million were left wounded and most were permanently crippled. The Great War totaled between 250-300 billion dollars on both sides! It's not an inflated number!
"The Big Four"
Great Britain: David Lloyd George
France: Georges Clemenceau United States: Woodrow Wilson Italy: Vittorio Orlando The Allies all got together to discuss what should be done regarding the damages caused by World War I. The Eastern European governments were left in shambles, many countries were not included, ethnic groups in Eastern Europe all wanted independence, overseas colonies also want independence, but most of all; none of the "Big Four" can seem to agree with each other.
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The Paris Peace Conference and German Punishment
The Goals of the French and BritishFrance ---> France wants to weaken and cripple Germany forever because of the humiliation they were forced to face back in the Franco-Prussian war and the crowning of Wilhelm I in the Palace of Versailles.
Great Britain ---> Great Britain wants financial compensation and they want to ensure that Germany will never be able to contest their power again. Germany had come the closest to becoming the number one world power and Great Britain wants to stay number one. Both ---> Both countries want revenge against Germany for causing the war and both countries want to divide German colonies among themselves. They both also want to ensure that Wilson's 14 Points does not pass them. |
German PunishmentsEven though Germany was not present at the Paris Peace Conference, they were forced to arrive in Versailles and sign terms to a treaty they did not agree to. For example, The League of Nations was formed, excluding Germany but still blaming them for causing the war. Germany was forced to pay reparations for the war and their military was almost completely demolished. Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria and the League of Nations took control of all of Germany's colonies. But most of all, The League of Nations left Germany in a state of turmoil and a taste of bitterness was left in the Germans' mouths.
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