History of Europe

Why Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany at the Paris peace conference?

France's desire for security. Clemenceau was determined to prevent Germany from ever being able to threaten France again. He believed that Germany had to be weakened militarily and economically in order to achieve this goal.

French public opinion. The French public was clamoring for revenge against Germany after the war. Clemenceau knew that he had to take action to satisfy the public's desire for retribution.

The need to make Germany pay for the war. France was one of the countries that had been hardest hit by the war, and Clemenceau wanted to ensure that Germany paid for the damage that it had caused.

The desire to establish a new international order. Clemenceau believed that the old order had failed to prevent the war, and he wanted to establish a new order based on collective security and international cooperation. He believed that punishing Germany was necessary to achieve this goal.