The Economic Consequences of the Peace

Keynes resigned his position as a representative of the British Treasury and an advisor to Lloyd George during the Paris Peace Conference. Could he have influenced the outcome of the conference if he had stayed? Why or why not? Cite evidence from the text and secondary sources to support your response.

The author details his first-hand experience of witnessing the leaders of the Big Four (Britain, France, the US, and Italy) at the Paris Peace Conference. What role do their personalities and relationships play in setting the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

What alternative arrangement does Keynes provide for the terms outlined in the Treaty of Versailles? Were any similar solutions implemented to help Germany pay reparations later? If so, what were they, and did they work?

How did the Treaty of Versailles affect the political, social, and economic developments of the interwar period (1919-1939) in Europe? What role, if any, did the treaty play in creating the conditions that led to World War II?

Why is Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles important? Was Germany responsible for causing World War I? Support your response.

What role did President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points play at the Paris Peace Conference and in defining the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

How did Keynes membership in the Bloomsbury Group influence his approach to writing The Economic Consequences of the Peace?

How did Germany develop as a nation between its unification in 1871 and the beginning of World War I in 1914? Why is this period important for the political and economic development in Europe?