Key Figures
There were several key figures, most came from the "Big Four" allies that attended the Peace Conference in 1919.
Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau:
Georges Clemenceau of France,
signed the Peace Treaty of France to
ensure that a war on this scale would
not take place in France ever again.
He believed that Germany should be
held responsible for all of the damage
they have caused to France the four
years spent fighting.
Georges Clemenceau had three
demands for Germany:
1. They must return to Alsace-Lorraine
2. Germany must pay for the costs of rebuilding all the damage
they caused.
3. France should be allowed to take possession of the Rhineland
to stop further surprise visits from Germany.
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George:
David Lloyd George of Great
Britain signed the Treaty to back
up France. Many people in Great
Britain believe Germany should
receive harsh punishments for
their damage. With their most
popular slogans; "Make Germany
Pay", and "Squeeze them until the
pips squeek". However, David
Lloyed George believe the
opposite. He believed three things:
(http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
1. Germany should not be treated
too harshly. it may cause future
problems for France.
2. Germany should be allowed to
recover.
3. France should not be allowed to
possess the Rhineland. In fact, he
wanted that area to be
demilitarized.
Prime MinisterVittorio Orlando:
Vittorio Orlando of Italy signed the
Treaty because an agreement made
between Italy, Britain, and France
in 1915. Vittorio Orlando signed a
Secret Treaty of London in 1915,
stating that Italy would be given the
Adriatic coast at the end of the war.
So it is pretty obvious that Vittorio
Orlando had shown up expecting
that Britain and France to keep
their promise.
PresidentWoodrow Wilson:
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th
President of the United States of
America at the time. Wilson signed
the Treaty to end the war between
its fellow ally France. Soon after the
Peace Conference of 1919, Wilson
declared war on Germany in 1917.
Wilson then entered Europe with
his "Fourteen Points". Most important
two that affected Europe the most
were "Self-Determination", and
(http://libweb2.princeton.edu/)
"League of Nations should be set up to
settle disputes between countries in the future"
Dr. Johannes Bell
Dr. Johannes Bell was the
representative for Germany, who
signed the Treaty through pressure.
Dr. Johannes Bell had no choice but
to sign the Treaty of France because
if he did not sign the Treaty,
Germany would of most likely
had been attacked by all ally forces.
Or, the war would have escalated to
a catastrophic level.
