Primary Documents - 1919
This page of the Primary
Documents section of the website collects together archive source documents
originating in 1919, the year which saw the Treaty of Versailles forced upon
a reluctant Germany.
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Included among the following documents is the text of the Versailles treaty, plus the text of prominent U.S. opposition to President Wilson's enthusiastic backing for a post-war League of Nations.
The list presented below - with each entry accompanied by a brief summary of its significance - is sorted by date, with earlier documents listed first.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
 Poincare's Welcoming Address at Versailles |
January - French President's welcoming comments |
| One |
January - U.S. President's initial comments |
| Lloyd George's Opening Address at Versailles |
January - British Prime Minister's initial comments |
| Sonnino's Opening Address at Versailles |
January - Italian Prime Minister's initial comments |
| Clemenceau's Opening Address at Versailles |
January - French Prime Minister's initial comments |
| Huddleston on Opening of Peace Conference |
January - British observer's account of initial session |
| U.S. Recognition of Polish Government |
January - Robert Lansing's announcement |
| President Ebert's Opening Assembly Address |
February - New German President's initial address |
| President Ebert's Second Assembly Address |
February - New German President's follow-up address |
| Saunders on the New German Constitution |
February - British eye-witness journalist's account |
| Ludendorff on Being 'Stabbed in the Back' |
February - Former German leader's allegations |
| Newspaper Interview with Josef Pilsudski |
February - French journalist's interview with Polish leader |
| Hindenburg on Kaiser Wilhelm's Abdication |
March - German Army Chief of Staff's account |
| Douglas Haig's Final Despatch |
March - British Commander-in-Chief's final war report |
| Bulgarian Peace Delegation on Atrocities |
May - Statement repudiating charges of atrocities |
| Commission to Determine War Guilt |
May - Formal report blaming Central Powers |
| German Protest at Peace Terms |
May - Germany's response at proposed terms |
| Allied Reply to German Protest on Terms |
May - Clemenceau's reply to German protests |
| Dutch Editorial Against Versailles |
May - Neutral newspaper's stance against peace terms |
| Ignace Paderewski on Paris Peace Conference |
May - Polish Prime Minister's positive assessment |
| Treaty of Versailles |
June - Allies' peace terms with defeated Germany |
| Account of Versailles Signing Ceremony |
June - Account by U.S. newspaper journalist |
| President Wilson on League of Nations |
July - One of Wilson's final speeches in support of League |
| Henry Cabot Lodge on League of Nations |
August - Senate majority leader's opposition |
| Herbert Hoover on Polish Reconstruction |
August - Hoover's pessimistic assessment |
| Pershing's Despatch of September 1919 |
September - U.S. AEF Commander-in-Chief's official report |
| Pershing on Ferdinand Foch as Commander |
September - U.S. C-in-C's view of Foch's appointment |
| Ignace Paderewski on League of Nations |
September - Polish Prime Minister's lobbying in favour |
| Pershing on Meuse-Argonne Offensive |
November - U.S. C-in-C's account of key offensive |
| Maurice on Why the Allies Accepted Peace |
1919 - Former British Director of Military Ops' account |
| Ludendorff on Second Battle of the Marne |
1919 - German strategist's post-war view of Allied attacks |
| Covenant of League of Nations |
1919-24 - 26 articles of the covenant |
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"Toc Emmas" was slang for trench mortars.
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