George Clemenceau was the prime minister of France during World War 1. He was nicknamed "The Tiger" for his determination to destroy Germany. As prime minister, his primary concern at the Paris Peace Conference was ensuring future security for France given Germany's past invasions. While publicly agreeing with Wilson's 14 Points, Clemenceau privately pushed for a harsh peace to severely weaken Germany to prevent another attack on France.

1. CLEMENCEAU’S ROLE
IGCSE HISTORY

3. PROFILE
George Clemenceau was the prime minister of France during World
War 1.
He was born in 1841 and he died in 1929. He was aged 77 when the
Paris Conference began.
He was nicknamed “The Tiger” for his determination to destroy
Germany.
His pre-political career included being a medical doctor, a journalist,
a school teacher and a newspaper owner.
In his political career he was a minister of the interior affairs (1906),
the prime minister of France (1906-1909 and 1917-1920) and
president of the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920).

5. CHARACTER
He was a hard-headed, stubborn, tough, and uncompromising
politician.
From 1914 to 1917 he was very critical of the French war leaders.
His unforgiving attitude towards Germany developed following the
German invasion of France in 1870 and 1914.
He was determined not to allow such devastation ever again.
He wanted a harsh peace to be imposed on Germany.

7. DID CLEMENCEAU AGREED WITH WILSON?
In public, Clemenceau agreed with Wilson’s aim for a fair and lasting
peace.
He found Wilson very hard to work with. While de hid not publicly
criticise the Fourteen Points, Clemenceau once pointed out that “even
God had only needed Ten Commandments!”
The major disagreement was over Germany.
Clemenceau and other French leaders saw the Treaty as an
opportunity to cripple Germany so that it could not attack France
again.

8. FRANCE’S CONCERNS
Clemenceau’s first concern at Paris was to achieve a peace that
would ensure the future security of France.
He thought that if Germany was sufficiently weakened it would be
unable to threaten the peace of Europe again.
Reasons to be concerned:
- France shared a common border with Germany
- This border was not defined by a natural frontier such as a major
river
- The invasion of France in August 1914 was the second time in 50
years that France had been invaded by Germany (during the
Franco-Prussian War)

9. FRANCE’S SACRIFICE
France had made a much greater sacrifice (1.4 millions military
deaths, 0.3 millions civilian deaths, 4.3 millions wounded) during
the course of the war than either Britain (0.9 mil/0.1mil/1.7 mil) or
the United States (0.1 mil/10.000/0.2 mil).
In France, there was a national desire for revenge against Germany.
German army in retreat also caused deliberate damage, flooding
mines, destroying bridges, railways, small towns, villages.

10. FRANCE’S DEMANDS
Permanent disarmament involving disbanding most of Germany’s
army, navy and air force.
A very high level of reparations with a definite figure to be named in
the treaty.
The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France.
A significant portion of Germany’s colonies to be handed over to
France.
The Rhineland area to be formed into an independent state so that
France no longer shared a common border with Germany.
The Saar Basin to be transferred to France.