In What Ways Did Lloyd George Achieve His Objectives In The Treaty Of Versailles?

4 Pages 980 Words

At the outbreak of the Great War, 1914-1918, the Prime Minister was Prime Minister Asquith. By the time of the negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles and the signing of it, David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of Britain. The Treaty of Versailles is the agreement and the final negotiations between the winning allies, which were to determine the final settlement between the winning allies and Germany. The Treaty was signed in the Palace of Versailles, Paris in June 1919. Germany had no say in these negotiations and the Treaty was ready, waiting for Germany’s leaders to sign it. Lloyd George’s objectives were mixed between the harshness of Clemencau and the fairness of Wilson’s fourteen points. His objectives lay in economic interests, political interests and most importantly to protect Britain’s interests.
One of Lloyd George’s objectives was for Germany to pay reparations to the winning allies. He wanted them to pay for the damage they had caused from the fighting, in mainly France. Also to pay those thousands of families who have lost somebody from four years of fighting. Most of all because Germany was seen to be guilty of starting the war, so they had to pay the cost of repairing everything damaged in the war they had begun. This objective was also popular with the British public and it fitted with British interests. He achieved this objective because he also had the support of Clemencau, who also wanted this. Another objective that lay under economic interests was that Britain, or rather Lloyd George did not want to humiliate Germany. This was because he did not want to threaten the chances of breaking the trading link between Germany and Britain. Germany had become one of Britain’s most important trading partners, and if this link was unable to be re-established because of the suffering the humiliation and Treaty caused Germany, then Britain too would suffer from the consequences. This was one of the...