Areas of Compromise in the Treaty

The Big Three all had different ideas about how they wanted to Treaty of Versailles to look when it was finally signed. One notable disagreement came between France and the United States. Clemenceau and Wilson were furthest apart on their ideas about Germany. There was intense disagreement about the Rhineland and the Saar. The United States ultimately gave up on these issues, but did allow US progress in Eastern Europe.

The French and British also disagreed about what to do with Germany. France wanted to punish Germany harshly, whereas Lloyd George did not want to punish Germany too harshly. This often came down to disagreements about how strong Germany should be in Europe. France in particular felt more threatened by Germany in Europe than Britain did.

Disagreement continued with the United States and Britain disagreeing over what should be done with the Treaty of Versailles. Britain did not agree with Wilson’s ideas on self determination for countries as this would lead towards many countries in the British Empire wanting to be independent.