Paris Peace Conference

Reflecting historical reality, I hope, I teach World War I as a transformative moment in Europan history. Historians have long argued that the modern world began in 1914, with the start of World War I. High school students, understandably, do not know this coming into my class, and, I think, it is one of the major lessons that sticks with them long after my course has ended.

Margaret MacMillian's book Paris, 1919 focuses on the intricate diplomacy that occurred after World War I ended. In particular, it examines the relationship among the leaders of France, United Kingdom, United States and Italy. Temperments of the various leaders are explored, as well the reasoning that guided their decisions and the constituencies they represented.

This is the first time I am learning details about Wilson. A Democrat, Wilson comes across as principled and prickly. He is a big thinker, and often to the frustration of those around him, does not let details shackle his vision of what is right.

When I present WWI in class, my goal is to help students gain an understanding of how this cataclysmic conflict connects to previous topics we have studied. This topic bears the heavy burden of foreshadwing World War II.

To what extent were the decisions made at this Peace Conference responsible for the war that would erupt in Sept. 1939?

It is common, and all too easy, to connect the Paris Peace Conference directly to the WWII. The two conflicts, while connected in a variety of ways, should not be taught as one leading directly to the other. To do so, is to distort the two topics.