2.

The Reprecussions of WW1 on Britain, the Paris Peace Conference and its aftermath
United Kingdom[edit]
In the United Kingdom, funding the war had a severe economic cost. From being the world's largest
overseas investor, it became one of its biggest debtors with interest payments forming around 40% of all
government spending. Inflation more than doubled between 1914 and its peak in 1920, while the value of
the Pound Sterling (consumer expenditure [14]) fell by 61.2%. Reparations in the form of free German coal
depressed local industry, precipitating the 1926 General Strike.
British private investments abroad were sold, raising 550 million. However, 250 million in new
investment also took place during the war. The net financial loss was therefore approximately 300
million; less than two years investment compared to the pre-war average rate and more than replaced by
1928.[15] Material loss was "slight": the most significant being 40% of the British merchant fleet sunk by
German U-boats. Most of this was replaced in 1918 and all immediately after the war.[16] The military
historian Correlli Barnett has argued that "in objective truth the Great War in no way inflicted crippling
economic damage on Britain" but that the war "crippled the British psychologically but in no other way".
[17]

Less concrete changes include the growing assertiveness of Commonwealth nations. Battles such
as Gallipoli for Australia and New Zealand, and Vimy Ridge for Canada led to increased national pride
and a greater reluctance to remain subordinate to Britain, leading to the growth of diplomatic autonomy in
the 1920s. These battles were often decorated in propaganda in these nations as symbolic of their power
during the war. Loyal dominions such as Newfoundland were deeply disillusioned by Britain's apparent
disregard for their soldiers, eventually leading to the unification of Newfoundland with the Confederation
of Canada.[citation needed] Colonies such as India and Nigeria also became increasingly assertive because of
their participation in the war. The populations in these countries became increasingly aware of their own
power and Britain's fragility.
In Ireland, the delay in finding a resolution to the home rule issue, partly caused by the war, as well as the
1916 Easter Rising and a failed attempt to introduce conscription in Ireland, increased support for
separatist radicals. This led indirectly to the outbreak of the Irish War of Independence in 1919. The
creation of the Irish Free State that followed this conflict in effect represented a territorial loss for the
United Kingdom that was all but equal to the loss sustained by Germany, (and furthermore, compared to
Germany, a much greater loss in terms of its ratio to the country's prewar territory).
After World War I women gained the right to vote as, during the war, they had had to fill-in for what were
previously categorised as "men's jobs", thus showing the government that women were not as weak and
incompetent as they thought. Also, there were several significant developments in medicine and
technology as the injured had to be cared for and there were several new illnesses that medicine had to
deal with.

Paris Peace Conference MUN Simulation Country Profile Directions

David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1916 to 1922. He attended to
the Paris Peace Conference in November of 1919.
The type of government that Great Britain had in 1919 was Constitutional Monarchy.

Great Britain was on The Triple Alliance on WW1. This because Germany was set on the other
side, Triple Entente. Britain is influenced in this way because it had a pledge of peace and alliance
with Belgium. Germany threatened Belgium, so Britain had the right to protect Belgium.
Obviously, Britain had to be set on the enemy side to The Triple Entente, the side where Germany
was in.

Basic information about Britain during WWI:

o Britain entered the war on August 4, 1914
o Britain joined the war because Germany wanted to transpass Belgium, in order to attack
France (Schlieffen Plan). Britain and Belgium had a treaty if one was in danger, they
1

would protect each other, so since Belgium was in danger, Britain joined to protect them
against Germany.
o Britain was affected by the war by these means:
There were more than 16 million deaths, and 20 million affected soldiers.
Britain spent between 15-25% of its accumulated wealth Britain borrowed from
the united states and then owed massive debts. Britain also sold many of its
overseas assets so no longer got income from them.
By the end of the war, Britain ended up owing money to the U.S., so they felt
obligated to side with them in any discussion or negotiation proposed by the U.S.
because Britain doesnt want to upset them.

Britain believes that Germany is to blame for the Great War, mainly because the Germans
trespassed Belgian lands without their concern. Not only because of the militarism caused rivalry
between each other, but also because Britain had the right to protect the Belgians against any
danger. This being, because they had a pledge to defend each other in case of one of them being in
danger. Britain obviously finds Germany guilty, because if Germany wouldnt have trespassed
Belgium, Britain couldnt have been involved in war on the first place.

Germany should definitely be punished but not as much, if compared to how much France or
Belgium desire to do so. Germany should be punished:
-Economically, by paying the repairs of all damage caused to British ships, or to any other
country that was to be destructed by German cause.
-Territory-ly, by making up the destroyed lands, with lands of their empire.
-Military-ly, by maintaining their armies and troops to a minimum size.
Britains main goals for the Paris Peace Conference where: that there was naval supremacy, they
feared the spread of communism throughout Germany. Colonial expansion at the expense of
Germans, and reparation from Germany to pay for the war damages they made to the Allied
countries affected by their fault.

Britain envisioned maintaining world peace after the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty. These
being because it was already written and signed by all the leaders of each country who signed it,
so each of these countries were forced upon their own word to maintain peace. If no one breaks
the treaty there will be no need to break it . So this is why Britain would keep world peace . These
helped Britains economy and its finance because of the amount of trade it made with the now
fellow countries of Europe, Middle East, and part of America.