ABSTRACT
The desire for revenge against Germany was strong, even though the international community knew it needed to go beyond punishing Germany and craft a settlement that established permanent peace in Europe. Peace involved more than settling world problems. Every step of the peace process seemed to be setting the stage for the future. The Armistice ended active fighting, but the details of the peace settlement took months to negotiate. The peace settlement was destined to shape the course of world history. War monuments accented the importance of peace and the horror of the war. In the inter-war period, Americans debated the best way to avoid involvement in future wars. Americans have forgotten just how important the First World War was to their nation. The physical memorials erected during the period endure, but they no longer evoke the same sorrow. In the Depression-plagued 1930s, Americans began to doubt financiers were interested in peace.
