<aside> <img src="/icons/bookmark-outline_gray.svg" alt="/icons/bookmark-outline_gray.svg" width="40px" /> In this lesson, you will…
Big Question: What is the Treaty of Versailles and how did it set the stage for the rise of fascism and WWII?
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With strong isolationist attitudes, the United States remained neutral but would trade weapons and supplies with the Allied Powers.
isolationism
a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other countries; to isolate
Two events led to growing American support for entering the war.
Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare meant continued attacks on U.S. merchant ships.
On 7 May 1915, the sinking of a British ship, the Lusitania, by a German submarine killed 1,199 people, including 128 Americans.
Germany knew that they might eventually make the U.S. join the war so they contacted Mexico in the Zimmerman Telegram to try and encourage them to join the war to fight the United States.
The British intercepted and deciphered the message, then relaying it to President Wilson.
In April 1917, the Americans joined the war.
The arrival of millions of American soldiers in 1918 gave enough boost to the allies to end the war by the end of 1918.
Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary surrendered in October 1918 and Germany agreed to an armistice (ceasefire) on November 11, 1918
The Paris Peace Conference was led by the “Big Four”: Britain, France, Italy and the United States.
Neither Germany nor any of the Central Powers were allowed to attend
Russia could not attend because they already quit the war in 1917.
Britain and France wanted to force Germany to accept full blame for the war, pay reparations to the Allies, lose all of their colonies, and to limit Germany’s military so they could never go to war again.
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson disagreed with these harsh punishments for Germany
He presented his own peace proposals known as the Fourteen Points.
Wilson hoped to eliminate the causes of World War I and secure lasting peace.