WWI End

From August to November 1918, the Allied powers won many battles. This was called the Hundred Days Offensive.

The Hundred Days Offensive was a turning point in World War I. In war, an offensive is a large attack. The Allied powers' victories forced Germany to surrender.

In 1918, the German government surrendered. It agreed to stop fighting with the Allied powers. Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had already surrendered. The fighting with Germany officially ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

World War I ended November 11 at 11:00 A.M. Across the world, people celebrated the end of the war. Germany surrenders

In January 1919, representatives from 30 countries met to discuss the terms of peace for World War I. These discussions were called the Paris Peace Conference. Some of the conference was held in Versailles, a suburb of Paris, France.

Prime Minister of Great Britain, David Lloyd George, Premier of France, Georges Clemenceau, Premier of Italy, Vittorio Orlando, and President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson.

The Big Four made most of the decisions during the Paris Peace Conference. They even decided whom not to invite. For example, they refused to invite representatives from the new government of Russia. They also didn't invite the leaders of the Central powers until later in 1919.

The Treaty of Versailles was an important agreement made during the peace conference. The Treaty of Versailles:

• It took away Germany's colonies.

• It forced Germany to make its military much smaller.

• It forced Germany to give up land to Belgium, Poland, and France.

Many people criticized the Treaty of Versailles for being too hard on Germany. The treaty forced Germany to pay for damages done to the Allied powers during the war.

Did the Treaty of Versailles start World War II?

After World War I, Germany had a lot of economic problems. Many Germans blamed the Treaty of Versailles for ruining their economy.

Germany's economic problems continued into the 1930s. Many Germans wanted new leaders who would help the economy. They elected the extremist Nazi political party to try to solve their problems. The actions of Nazi-ruled Germany helped lead to World War II, just 20 years after World War I ended.

Before the Paris Peace Conference, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson introduced his "Fourteen Points" to Congress. Read the first part of Wilson's Fourteen Points. Then, answer the question.

What we demand in this war . . . is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation . . .

Woodrow Wilson made his Fourteen Points to end World War I with a long-lasting world peace.

Woodrow Wilson's 14th point called for the creation of a special group. This group would be in charge of keeping peace around the world.

Woodrow Wilson's 14th point called for the creation of the League of Nations.

The League of Nations would be a group of countries working together to keep peace. President Wilson introduced his idea to the world at the Paris Peace Conference.

The League of Nations becomes a reality

The first part of the Treaty of Versailles created the League of Nations. Members of the League were in charge of keeping peace around the world. Today, there is no League of Nations. However, the United Nations is based on the League.

Most nations at the Paris Peace Conference agreed to the Treaty of Versailles. In 1919, the United States Senate refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The senators didn't like the part in the treaty about the League of Nations. So, the United States didn't accept the Treaty of Versailles.

Why didn't Congress like the League?

The Treaty of Versailles said that members of the League had to protect other members. Congress was worried that this would make the United States fight in other countries' wars.

Many people agreed with this cartoon. It shows how the United States would have been an important part of the League of Nations.

After World War I, the United States government created the American Relief Administration (ARA). Herbert Hoover was the leader of the organization. It gave food and medical help to people in Europe.

The American Relief Administration was responsible for saving many lives:

• Herbert Hoover created a special department in the ARA to make sure European orphans were fed and taken care of.

• In 1921, the Russian people didn't have enough food to eat. In August 1922, the ARA helped get food to 11 million Russians each day.

In 1929, around ten years after the ARA was created, Herbert Hoover became president of the United States.

The fighting during World War I created thousands of refugees. A refugee is someone who flees his or her home to avoid danger.

During World War I, refugees fled their homes to escape the fighting. Other refugees were forced out of their homes by their governments.

In 1921, the Office of the High Commissioner of Refugees was created by the League of Nations. It was in charge of helping refugees around the world.

Here are some specific examples of why people became refugees during World War I:

• Belgians fled the German invasion of Belgium in 1914. Belgian refugees tried to escape the fighting by going to Great Britain.

• In 1915, the Ottoman government forced Armenian people living in the Ottoman Empire to leave. The Ottoman military marched Armenian people through the desert without food or water.

In 1921, the League of Nations created the Office of the High Commissioner of Refugees. It was meant to help refugees around the world. The Office was later replaced with the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees.

At the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire's government fell apart.

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire's government fell apart. Great Britain and France took control of many other former Ottoman territories.

Redrawing the world

Great Britain and France divided up the Ottoman Empire between themselves. They separated the territories into different countries with little regard for the people living there.

For example, they created the borders for modern day countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. The borders designed by Great Britain and France in World War I have led to many problems in the Middle East today.

Around the world, countries remember the end of World War I with Armistice Day.

Armistice Day is celebrated on November 11th each year. November 11th is the day when the Allied and Central powers stopped fighting.

Veterans Day in the United States

The United States celebrates Veterans Day instead of Armistice Day. A veteran is someone who has served in the military. Veterans Day is meant to honor all Americans who have served in the military, not just those who fought in World War I.