Question

If you were assigned to propose a treaty ending the Great War in 1918, what would your goals be? What would be your primary reasons for writing a treaty? Based on those goals and reasons, how similar to or different from the Treaty of Versailles would your treaty be? Why?

Answer 1

If I were assigned to propose a treaty ending the Great War in 1918, my goals would be to establish a world federation that had more power than the League of Nations or even the UN. It would have its own army and the ability to tax nations.

Woodrow Wilson's 14 points were an alternative to the Treaty of Versailles and were excellent post war plans. Germany agreed to all of them and had they been followed would likely have prevented WWII. The reason they were not followed however was because France and Britain thought they were too soft, and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles they thought were more fitting. If this is for school base them off of Wilson's 14. 

1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at"). 

2. Free navigation of all seas. 

3. An end to all economic barriers between countries. 

4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers. 

5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial.

6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to develop their own political set-up. 

7. Belgium should be independent like before the war. 

8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine. 

9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to "along clearly recognisable lines of nationality." 

10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary. 

11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for 
the Balkan states. 

12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves. 

13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea. 

14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.

Based on these goals and reasons, my treaty would be a little different then Treaty of Versailles.

In retrospect, the goal of the treaty ending the Great War, in 1918, should have been to prevent WWII, which turned out to be worse. Unfortunately, the peace treaty that officially ended the conflict--the Treaty of Versailles of 1919--forced punitive terms on Germany that destabilized Europe and laid the groundwork for World War II. So... my treaty would hopefully actually end the Great War without causing, or "just not helping prevent" WWII.

The Treaty of Versailles also included a clause to create the League of Nations. 

The US Senate never ratified this treaty. Also, the US did not join the League of Nations, despite President Wilson's active campaigning in support of the League. So... hopefully mine would speed up this process.


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