Why did the victors not get everything they wanted?

Question 1

France

Answer 1

• It satisfied a number of Clemenceau’s specific demands with regard to Alsace-Lorraine
• Clemenceau’s main concern was the defiance and security of France
• Clemenceau was worried it was not enough
• He feared that Germany would recover her strength and seek changes to the treaty
• France also wanted Britain and the USA to come to France’s assistance in case Germany were to attack them
• However both Britain and USA both denied this - treaty of guarantee to further protect France’s security
• Despite all the reparations France felt that the treaty didn’t go far enough - France still felt dangerously exposed on the eastern Frontier
• Wanted Rhineland to be a separate state but instead it got demilitarised
• France didn’t get all the land it wanted eg. Danzig went to Poland

Question 2

The United States

Answer 2

• President Wilson had mixed feelings about the treaty
• He was pleased that the League of Nations would be formed, he was also satisfied by all the peace treaties that the defeated powers should disarm. He was relieved that the Rhineland was not going to be made into a separate state.
• Wilson thought that the treaty was too harsh on Germany
• Wilson did not want the free navigation of the seas to be abandoned
• Usa was also not happy that Britain, France and Japan had taken Germany’s former colonies but America wanted them to be part of the League of Nations
• America was not happy that Austria couldn’t unite with Germany and the Sudeten Germans were not consulted about their future
• American Congress rejected the peace settlement - the treaty of Versailles was never officially signed by them

Question 3

Britain

Answer 3

• Lloyd George was probably the most satisfied with the peace treaty
• He did not like that German-speaking people were being placed under French or Polish rule
• Lloyd George felt that the Treaty punished Germany without destroying its economy or ability to contribute to the future prosperity of europe
• He wasn’t happy with the amount of money Germany had to pay in reparations because they wanted to continue trading with Germany
• He thought that Germany may seek revenge if the treaty is too harsh
• Germany lost a lot of its most valuable resources; meant it lost its ability to trade with Britain and would not be able to buy as many British goods for the same price as before