2. Fourteen Points
Wilson’s plan for peace
There should be no secret treaties among nations
Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all
Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should be
lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade.
Arms should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent with
domestic safety, thus lessening the possibility of military
responses” during diplomatic crisis
Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial
peoples as well as the interests of the imperialist powers
Creating the league of nations
3. Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan
France and Britain want to make Germany pay
Treaty of Versailles:
Established 9 new nations and shifted other borders
Reduced German army and got rid of air force
Germany had to pay reparations for war damages
$33 billion
4. Treaty’s Weakness
War-guilt clause: forced Germany to admit sole
responsibility for starting WWI
Reparations were far more than Germany could
afford to pay- especially after being stripped of its
colonial possessions
Treaty ignored claims of colonized people for self-
determination
Many in the US opposed the treaty
5. League of Nations
Some believed that the League of Nations would
threaten US foreign policy of isolationism
Wilson would not compromise with the Senate and
add amendments
The Senate did not ratify the treaty
The US signed a separate treaty with Germany after
Wilson was no longer president
6. Legacy of the War
The war accelerated social change
US military was strengthened as well as the power of
government
“the war to end all wars”
