The Views Of David Lloyd George And The Treaty Of Versailles

World War I was a gruesome event in history which saw over eight million soldiers lose their lives whilst defending their nations freedom, until Germany agreed to armistice on the 11th of November 1918. The peace agreement, known as the Treaty of Versailles, was signed on the 28th of June 1919 exactly five years after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, officially ending the conflict between Germany and the Allied Powers. The treaty’s content was predominantly negotiated by the Big Three which consisted of; Woodrow Wilson from the United States of America, Georges Clemenceau of France, and David Lloyd George of Great Britain. Although it was a mutual belief that Germany should be punished, their opinions differed to which extent, …show more content…
Lloyd George’s private thoughts were much more realistic and composed, as he wanted justice but understood that if Germany was punished until destitution, the loss of dignity would cause retaliation ultimately resulting in another war. Privately, he appreciated Germany as a major trading partner, as his plans to increase Britain’s trade and subsequently expanding the British Empire, therefore Lloyd George successfully hoped Germany would remain a viable trading partner following the Treaty of Versailles peace agreement. The Prime Minister’s concernment with the rising level of communism in Russia, also influenced his arguments in the treaty negotiations, as his anxieties grew regarding it spreading to Western Europe. In his eyes, communism posed a greater threat than Germany, and therefore should allow the German’s to act as a barrier resisting the spread of communism, as he knew Germany was their only hope. Therefore Lloyd George didn’t want them to lose their unity by their public becoming disillusioned from their government, in case they turned to