Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920)
On the 18th of January 1919, diplomats from thirty-two nations gathered at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris to begin a process that would reshape the world. This date was chosen for its heavy symbolic weight as it marked the anniversary of the proclamation of William I as German Emperor in 1871. The meeting took place within the historic Palace of Versailles, specifically in the Hall of Mirrors where the German Empire had been born nearly fifty years prior. Delegates assigned themselves to fifty-two commissions and held one thousand six hundred forty-six sessions to prepare reports on topics ranging from prisoners of war to undersea cables. The conference formally opened with these delegates representing twenty-seven nations, though many nationalities were largely ignored during the proceedings.
Five great powers controlled the Conference, but four leaders dominated the decision-making process through informal meetings. Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson, and Vittorio Emanuele Orlando met together one hundred forty-five times to agree upon all major decisions before they were ratified by other attendees. Clemenceau sought to weaken Germany militarily and strategically after personally witnessing two German attacks on French soil in the previous forty years. He demanded an American and British joint guarantee of French security in the event of another German attack. Wilson gained some favor by signing a mutual defense treaty with France, but he did not present it to his country's government for ratification so it never took effect. Lloyd George eventually pushed for better terms for Germany while Clemenceau complained that Mr. Wilson bored him with his fourteen points.
The Treaty of Versailles signed on the 28th of June 1919 assigned liability for damaged caused to the Allies by the aggression of Germany and her allies to the defeated Central Powers. Article 231 of that treaty placed the responsibility for the war on the aggression of Germany and her allies which proved very humiliating for German leaders, armies and citizens alike. The five treaties included the Treaty of Saint-Germain for Austria on the 10th of September 1919 and the Treaty of Neuilly for Bulgaria on the 27th of November 1919. The Treaty of Trianon was signed on the 4th of June 1920 affecting Hungary while the Treaty of Sèvres dated the 10th of August 1920 addressed the Ottoman Empire before being revised by the Treaty of Lausanne on the 24th of July 1923. Germany paid only a small portion of reparations before payments ended in 1931 after the nation stopped paying following the economic collapse.
Russia was formally excluded from the Conference although it had fought against the Central Powers for three years during the conflict. Ukraine had its best opportunity to win recognition and support from foreign powers at the conference but Lloyd George called Ukrainian leader Symon Petliura an adventurer and dismissed Ukraine as an anti-Bolshevik stronghold. A delegation of the Belarusian Democratic Republic under Prime Minister Anton Łuckievič participated in the conference and attempted to gain international recognition of the independence of Belarus. Korea sent a delegation including Kim Kyu-sik from the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai but no nation took the Koreans seriously because Japan already had the status of a Japanese colony. Vietnam's Nguyen Ai Quoc petitioned the conference seeking self determination and independence for the Vietnamese people but his petition was largely ignored given that Vietnam was a French colony.
A central issue of the conference was the disposition of the overseas colonies of Germany which were redistributed through a mandate system. Australia wanted New Guinea while New Zealand wanted Samoa and South Africa wanted South West Africa. Wilson proposed there would be three types of mandates with Class C Mandates going to colonies that dominions like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa wanted. Japan obtained mandates over German possessions north of the Equator including the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Mariana Islands, and the Carolines. The Pacific Islands north of the equator became a class C mandate administered by Japan after the conference transferred German concessions in the Jiaozhou Bay China to Japan rather than returning sovereign authority to China.
The arrangements made by this conference are considered one of the greatest watersheds of 20th century geopolitical history which would lead to World War II. The humiliation and resentment in Germany is often considered to be one of the direct causes of the Nazi Party's electoral successes and one of the indirect causes of World War II. British historian Antony Lentin viewed Lloyd George's role in Paris as a major success while others argued the treaty seemed wicked unfair and dictation to Germans. The German Weimar Republic was not invited to attend the conference at Versailles and representatives of White Russia but not Communist Russia were present. The failure of Korean nationalists to gain support from the conference ended their hopes of foreign support and reinforced political vulnerability in the postwar order.
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Common questions
When did the Paris Peace Conference 1919 open and where was it held?
The Paris Peace Conference 1919 opened on the 18th of January 1919 at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. Delegates gathered at the Quai d'Orsay to begin proceedings that would reshape the world.
Who were the four leaders who dominated decision making at the Paris Peace Conference 1919?
Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson, and Vittorio Emanuele Orlando dominated the decision-making process through informal meetings. These four leaders met one hundred forty-five times to agree upon all major decisions before ratification by other attendees.
What date was the Treaty of Versailles signed during the Paris Peace Conference 1919?
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28th of June 1919 assigning liability for damages caused to the Allies by Germany and her allies. Article 231 of that treaty placed responsibility for the war on the aggression of Germany and her allies.
Which nations were excluded from participation in the Paris Peace Conference 1919?
Russia was formally excluded from the Conference although it had fought against the Central Powers for three years during the conflict. The German Weimar Republic was not invited to attend the conference at Versailles while representatives of White Russia but not Communist Russia were present.
How did women influence the outcomes of the Paris Peace Conference 1919?
An Inter-Allied Women's Conference convened from the 10th of February to the 10th of April 1919 to lobby delegates including Wilson to admit women to its committees. One key outcome was Article 7 of the Covenant of the League of Nations stating all positions under or in connection with the League shall be open equally to men and women.