Versailles Conference

The Versailles Conference

Last night, for the first time since August in the first year of the war, there was no light of gunfire in the sky, no sudden stabs of flame through darkness, no spreading glow above black trees where for four years of nights human beings were smashed to death. The Fires of Hell had been put out. Phillip Gibbs in the New York Times (11 November 1918)	Links Background information The art of WWI - a wonderful site which shows the psychological effects of the war Photos of the death and destruction caused by WWI People's feelings after the war - sources Aftermath (a title taken from Sassoon's poem) - esp the section on war poetry Sidney's in civvies again
1. Background: The Legacy of World War One 10 million people died in the First World War (1914-18). The part of France where there had been fighting (the Western Front) was totally destroyed. Source A A picture of Ypres in France (1918), showing the damage done during the war. Source B More than 65 million men fought in the First World War; over eight million of them were killed. In addition, nearly nine million civilians died - from starvation, disease, artillery fire and air raids. Twelve million tons of shipping were sunk. In France and Belgium, where most of the war was fought, 300,000 houses, 6,000 factories, 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) of railway, 2,000 breweries and 112 coal mines were destroyed. The human cost of the war - in terms of damaged minds and bodies, and ruined lives – was beyond calculation. In some ways, mankind has never recovered from the horrors of the First World War. John D Clare, First World War (1994)	New Words Versailles: a famous palace near Paris. Conference: meeting. Armistice: cease-fire. Delegate: a person representing a country at a conference. Erich Maria Remarque's novel, All Quiet on the Western Front (1926) tried 'simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war'.
2. Making Peace In November 1918, Germany had signed a cease-fire. It was called ‘the Armistice’. The Germans could not fight any longer. But they did not think they had surrendered! In January 1919, delegates from 32 countries met at Versailles, near Paris, to make treaties to end the war. The meeting was known as the Versailles Conference. Unlike other treaties in history, the Treaty of Versailles was *not* negotiated between Germany and the Allies. Only the Allies were invited to the Conference - and they believed they had won! They imposed their terms upon Germany.	Did You Know? In 1918, Bassett's introduced a new sweetie - called 'Peace Babies' - to celebrate the end of the First World War. Unavailable during the Second World War (no sugar!) they were re-launched in the 1950s as 'Jelly Babies'.
3. Attitudes of the Victors Source C This cartoon by a British artist appeared in Punch on 19 February 1919. The caption read: German Criminal to Allied Police: Here, I say, stop! You're hurting me! (Aside: If I only whine enough I may be able to wriggle out of this yet.)	Extra: 1. Study Source C. Describe in detail what you can see. Describe the origin (who drew it), context (what was happening at the time) and motive (what was the artist trying to achieve?) of the cartoon. Think about what the message of the cartoon is to its readership. Did You Know? When the Russians had stopped fighting in 1917, the Germans had made them sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It took lots of land from Russia. When they heard this, many politicians decided they would be just as tough on Germany.
Source D Germany is going to pay. We will get everything you can squeeze out of a lemon, and a bit more. The Germans should hand over everything they own. From a speech in 1918 by Sir Eric Geddes, a British politician standing for election as an MP. Source E We have assembled here for two purposes - to make the peace settlements, and also to secure the future peace of the world. Woodrow Wilson, speaking at the Versailles Conference (January 1919) Source F Out of the horror of the War came a belief that nations should join together to keep the peace... D MacIntyre, The Great War: Causes and Consequences (1979)	Extra: 2. Look at Sources A-F Make a list of all the things that you would have been thinking and feeling if you had been a delegate at the Conference. If you run out of ideas, or want some help, Delegates' attitudes is an example which my pupils created 3. Read Source D. If you had been Mr Geddes’s speech-writer, what would you have written in the next paragraph, in which he explained WHY he wanted to do this.