Aims of Britain at Versailles

Britain’s Prime Minister was David Lloyd George. He was a Liberal MP who wanted to tread a middle ground between the competing ideas of France and America. He had several motivations for his wishes at the Versailles Peace Conference. He had campaigned in the 1918, British election, promising to make Germany pay. He also wanted to stop German threats to the British Empire, and wanted to also protect British jobs in manufacturing.

Lloyd George, wished for the British Empire to remain supreme across the world, and saw Germany’s navy and oversees colonies as a threat to the British Empire. However, despite this loss of territory overseas, Lloyd George, knew that the treaty shouldn’t punish Germany too much as this may provoke another war.

Lloyd George also had another reason for ensuring that Germany wasn’t punished too harshly. Many British jobs depended on trade with Germany. Before the war, Germany was Britain’s biggest trading partner. He did not want British people to lose their jobs, which might cause him to lose an election. Lloyd George faced a difficult challenge as the British public wanted to punish Germany harshly for the war in the Peace Treaty.