Peace

One hundred thousand Americans died fighting in Europe. Many others were permanently harmed by poison gas and other modern weapons.

Wilson put forth a program called the Fourteen Points. This was a list of fourteen things that he wanted put in the peace treaty. Some were

• no more secret alliances
• always would be freedom on the seas
• all land taken from one nation by another would be returned
• a world body of nations would be formed, so the war could never happen again

Other allied leaders did not agree with Wilson. Most wanted to punish the Germans. The leaders met many days in Versailles, France. They finally worked out peace treaties with the Central Powers.

Austria-Hungary was broken up into Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Poland was made from Austrian, German, and Russian land. Yugoslavia was formed. The Germans had to break up industry, the army and navy, and pay all other nations for their war costs.

Wilson's plan for the League of Nations was agreed on. His ideas was that nations settle their arguments before war could start. The headquarters would be in Geneva, Switzerland.

Congress rejected the Versailles Peace Treaty and would not let the Americans join the League of Nations. Later the U. S. signed a separate peace treaty with Germany.