🇫🇷 Georges Clemenceau (France)
“The Tiger” – Harsh, determined, seeking justice and security for France
Messieurs,
“Germany made war, Germany must pay for it.”
France comes to this table bearing the scars of devastation. We have lost over 1.4 million sons in the war—more than any other nation here. Our once-beautiful northern countryside lies in ruins, our homes destroyed, our industries shattered.
This was not the first time Germany invaded our soil. In 1870, and now again in 1914, we have seen what unchecked German aggression brings. We cannot allow a third invasion.
France demands justice, not vengeance. Justice means securing our borders, recovering Alsace-Lorraine, and ensuring that Germany is militarily and economically incapable of threatening Europe again.
If we fail to be firm now, we risk condemning our children to fight the same war once again. Let us build peace, yes—but a peace built on security, not trust alone.
Merci.
🇬🇧 David Lloyd George (Britain)
Pragmatic, politically aware, balancing justice with future stability
“Gentlemen,
Britain has suffered deeply in this war. We lost nearly a million men, and countless more return home wounded in body and spirit. Our people demand that those responsible be held accountable.
Yet we must also look beyond punishment. Germany, though defeated, remains a nation of industry and ambition. If we destroy her entirely, we risk creating the very chaos we seek to avoid. A crippled Germany may fall to revolution or vengeance, and the peace we sign today will last but a few years.
Our empire has grown, yes—but with it comes responsibility. Britain stands for stability, for freedom of the seas, and for a just economic order that allows Europe to recover together.
Let us strike a balance—firm enough to honour our dead, but wise enough to protect our future.”
🇺🇸 Woodrow Wilson (USA)
Idealistic, principled, seeking a new world order based on cooperation
“Esteemed colleagues,
The United States entered this war not for territory, nor for revenge, but for principles—to defend democracy, protect peace, and ensure a future where war need not be the answer to human conflict.
Though our casualties were far fewer than yours, over 100,000 Americans lie buried far from home, because we believed that this was a war to end all wars.
But that end cannot come through punishment alone. We must address the roots of conflict: imperial rivalry, secret alliances, and economic injustice. That is why I propose the Fourteen Points—a framework for peace through self-determination, open diplomacy, and disarmament.
Most importantly, I urge the creation of a League of Nations—an international body to resolve disputes without bloodshed. Let us be the architects of a new world, not the jailers of the old.
Let this treaty be not just an end, but a beginning.”
Idealistic, principled, seeking a new world order based on cooperation
“Esteemed colleagues,
The United States entered this war not for territory, nor for revenge, but for principles—to defend democracy, protect peace, and ensure a future where war need not be the answer to human conflict.
Though our casualties were far fewer than yours, over 100,000 Americans lie buried far from home, because we believed that this was a war to end all wars.
But that end cannot come through punishment alone. We must address the roots of conflict: imperial rivalry, secret alliances, and economic injustice. That is why I propose the Fourteen Points—a framework for peace through self-determination, open diplomacy, and disarmament.
Most importantly, I urge the creation of a League of Nations—an international body to resolve disputes without bloodshed. Let us be the architects of a new world, not the jailers of the old.
Let this treaty be not just an end, but a beginning.”
Summary
🇫🇷 Georges Clemenceau (France)
Main Aim: Harsh punishment of Germany to ensure French security. A PUNITIVE settlement.
- Full justice and Security: Wanted to weaken Germany permanently to prevent future attacks (France had been invaded twice by Germany in 50 years).
- Reparations: Sought high reparations to rebuild French industry and pay for war damage, especially in northern France.
- Military Restrictions: Wanted Germany’s army severely reduced and its borders controlled.
- Return of Alsace-Lorraine: Wanted this territory back from Germany (taken in 1871).
- Rhineland Demilitarisation: Demanded that the Rhineland be a buffer zone free of German troops.
- Public Opinion: French citizens demanded harsh punishment after immense war losses (1.4 million French soldiers killed).
🇬🇧 David Lloyd George (Britain)
Main Aim: A balanced peace to avoid future war but still punish Germany enough to satisfy British voters.
- Moderate Punishment: Didn’t want to completely destroy Germany—feared it would lead to communism or future revenge.
- Trade Interests: Wanted Germany to recover economically so it could be a trading partner.
- Maintain British Empire: Wanted to secure British colonial interests and increase its empire.
- Public Pressure: Promised to “make Germany pay” during the 1918 election, so had to show he was being tough.
- Naval Control: Wanted to reduce Germany’s navy to prevent it from challenging Britain’s naval supremacy.
🇺🇸 Woodrow Wilson (USA)
Main Aim: A fair and lasting peace based on his Fourteen Points.
- Self-determination: Believed ethnic groups should govern themselves – e.g., break-up of Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- League of Nations: Wanted to create an international organization to prevent future wars.
- No Harsh Punishment: Thought punishing Germany too severely would cause future conflict.
- Freedom of the Seas: Wanted free access to international waters for trade.
- Disarmament: Called for general reduction of arms to prevent arms races.
- Idealism over Revenge: Was less affected by the war (USA joined in 1917, fewer casualties), so promoted peace and democracy.
