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Lesson PSIII – Treaty of Versailles 2 and interwar

Course PSIII – Soc 20-2, per. 4
Title/Focus period 1

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

Skills
S.5.2 – make meaningful contributions to discussion and group work
Values and Attitudes
2.2 appreciate that the pursuit of national interest has positive and negative consequences
2.3 appreciate multiple perspectives related to the pursuit of national interest.

Knowledge and Understanding

2.6 Examine how the pursuit of national interest shapes foreign policy (First World War Peace
Settlements, the interwar period)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Demonstrate an increased understanding of how the “Big Three” WWI-victorious nations pursued their
national interest in shaping the treaty of Versailles, and imposed that on Germany by
completing/discussing FITB notes, and comparing them with their previous analysis/predictions of
possible treaty outcomes. (2.2, 2.3, 2.6)

2. Explore some of the negative consequences of the Treaty of Versailles by analyzing and interpreting
primary source political cartoons, and placing themselves along a “line of satisfaction,” or a “stoked line”
(2.2, 2.6)

2. Demonstrate an increased understanding of how the Treaty of Versailles negatively impacted Germany
during the first half of the interwar period, by placing themselves along a “satisfaction line” (S.5.2, 2.3)

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

 Laptop, prepared slides, prepared handouts, this lesson plan with prepared notes

PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 Check laptop/SMARTboard connection for slides/ sound
 Have handout packages copied beforehand and ready

PROCEDURE
Introduction Time
5 minutes

Welcome Students to class – individual check-ins.

Address those that were absent yesterday – distribute FITB notes and Treaty Negotiations
assignment from yesterday to those students.

Call for outstanding assignments – refer to lists on board. Starting Monday, period 5 if
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you’re missing Nationalism in Song, French Rev Qs, Peacekeeping Argument mapping.

Body Time
James Brown – “The Big Payback”
Who wanted the big payback? Revenge ? -France. Why would
Tunes for Timbits France want that more than the other big 3?
Who wanted revenge, but was willing to compromise? –
Britain. Who was Prime Minister? Why would he be willing
to compromise? – Germany as a trade partner
So then Who didn’t care too much about payback? What
5- 10min
was the point of the 14 points? – create lasting peace. Stop
1:00 ish
the conditions that led to WWI. What were some of those
main points? - no more secret negotiations – freedom of travel
on the seas. Alsace Lorraine back to France. Borders drawn
based on populations’ sense of nation

Distribute new FITB forms

FITB
notes/slides Discuss student responses from yesterday re: possible
compromises the Big Three Nations may have come up with:
Qs on slide

Speak to first 2 cartoons What do you see? What does it 15ish

mean? Why does that matter? minutes
1:15 / 1:20
Speak to maps – How did Woodrow Wilson (USA) want to
determine new nations and borders… What did he want to
consider? - ethnic nations – refer to Slavs at beginning of War

Conclude with Video – check for questions throughout.

25ish
Cartoon analysis This is a skill you’ll need for the final exam this year, the minutes
diploma next year, and just in general, for life.

SS purpose = active and responsible citizens – helps you make

sense of the world – We’ll get into propaganda next week.
Works for advertisements as well – Know what statement
images and ads are making, you can think about if you agree.

Go through – SEE MEAN MATTER chart once more.

Cartoon 1 – together – What do you see? Literal images.

IDing what might be symbols. – spoon, fist with nations
labelled as victorious nations – medicine – who is the man..? Do
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you recognize any of these people? Clemenceau’s moustache. –
Woodrow Wilson.

What does it mean? – track each image – potential symbolism

Why does that matter? (What message is being sent?) –
Comparing Germany to a kid who doesn’t want to take his
medicine = Germany had no choice. Peace talks weren’t really
talks between the two sides of the war.

Repeat with next image – 5 minutes independent work

Line of Let’s go to Germany! - dominate moustache and beard 15 ish

Satisfaction championships. That’s a thing. – move to collaborative space. minutes

One of the outcomes we’re getting after = looking at multiple

perspectives. You did that with the calling all alliances map –
took on the perspective of a nation at that time. We’re all going
to assume a German perspective. Pretend to be in Germany’s
shoes. More satisfied, step forward. Less = step back.

1914, before the war – How satisfied would you be with your
quality of life as a German? Place yourselves along this line.
What were Germany’s foreign policy goals? – naval
supremacy – dominate Europe. (ask Noah’s group) How were
you doing at that?
How prepared were you for the coming conflict?
So How do you feel?

Schlieffen plan – have a great idea about to avoid fighting Russia

and France at the same time– “Schlieffen be sneakin’”
Your economy is strong and growing.

Part way through the war – developed all of this new

technology (U-boats etc.)– extreme losses, but you’re holding
your own. Horrors of Trench warfare – conscription
- How satisfied are you? How come?

Last 100 days of War – Trench lines and stalemate eventually

broken, and you’re forced to retreat. Defeated, but no longer at
war. How do you feel? Why?

Not allowed to have any say in the Paris Peace Conference –

kept behind barbed wire at your hotel. The Big Three nations
decided that Germany was completely responsible for the
outbreak of WWI – From the German perspective, do you
agree, or not? Why? What evidence could you point to? (MAIN
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causes)

Your military is limited. You’ve lost territory, including all you

colonies – given to Britain.
Some of your most productive coal mines are given to France
for 15 years given to Britain. Your country is still is shambles
from the war damage.
You Owe this huge amount of money in war reparations.
-remember our fake money? -
Don’t have a choice but to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
How do you feel? More or less satisfied?

1920s - How will you pay this war debt? No more colonies. –
What are your options when you’re broke and need money?
BORROW – From Whom? -USA - = deeper in debt. On top of 33
billion in War debt. (Today, 450 billion ish)
*Life lesson re: credit cards.

= period of inflation - we’ve seen that term before but haven’t

used it much. Guesses on what that means? What does it
mean to inflate something? Prices = higher, while buying
power of money goes down.

German money is worthless. 1918 before the war -price of

bread = 2 marks. In 1924, 5 years after the war, the price of one
loaf was 6 million marks.– black market and trade.
Wheelbarrow stories.

Great depression – many nations stopped trading with

Germany – meant that people lost their jobs in Germany, many
homeless. Starving.
How do you feel? More or less satisfied?
Is there any hope?

We’ve looked at Quebec, we’ve looked at Oka, protest

music, the French Revolution – What do people desire
when they are dissatisfied with their lives in their nation? –
CHANGE. BIG TIME. –

BIG Q: Does this desire for change lead to an increase or

decrease in feelings of nationalism? – Think about French
revolution. Think about how dissatisfied Germans must feel.

FITB notes 10 minutes

ish
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Cartoon analysis
What statement is each of these cartoons making?

Conclusion Time
Thank for participation, remind students that Period 5 signups start Monday.

< 2 minutes

Assessment
Formative:
Observations – FITB completion, cartoon analysis w/oral feedback,
Conversation, discussion in large group, small group, and individual basis. – for successful links of
historical developments with concepts of nationalism, national interest, and foreign policy.
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Summative: final cartoon analysis collected after debrief / work time Monday.

Additional Notes/ Reflection :