<P> In late 1918, a Polish government was formed and an independent Poland proclaimed . In December, Poles launched an uprising within the German province of Posen . Fighting lasted until February, when an armistice was signed that left the province in Polish hands, but technically still a German possession . </P> <P> Talks between the Allies to establish a common negotiating position started on 18 January 1919, in the Salle de l'Horloge at the French Foreign Ministry on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris . Initially, 70 delegates from 27 nations participated in the negotiations . Russia was excluded due to their signing of a separate peace (the Treaty of Brest - Litovsk) and early withdrawal from the war . Furthermore, German negotiators were excluded to deny them an opportunity to divide the Allies diplomatically . </P> <P> Initially, a "Council of Ten" (comprising two delegates each from Britain, France, the United States, Italy, and Japan) met officially to decide the peace terms . This council was replaced by the "Council of Five", formed from each countries foreign ministers, to discuss minor matters . Prime Minister of France Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of Italy Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Lloyd George, and President of the United States Woodrow Wilson formed the "Big Four" (at one point becoming the "Big Three" following the temporally withdrawal of Vittorio Emanuele Orlando). These four men met in 145 closed sessions to make all the major decisions, which were later ratified by the entire assembly . The minor powers attended a weekly "Plenary Conference" that discussed issues in a general forum but made no decisions . These members formed over 50 commissions that made various recommendations, many of which were incorporated into the final text of the treaty . </P> <P> France had lost 1.3 million soldiers killed, including 25% of French men aged 18--30 and 400,000 civilians . France had also been more physically damaged than any other nation (the so - called zone rouge (Red Zone)); the most industrialized region and the source of most coal and iron ore in the north - east had been devastated and in the final days of the war mines had been flooded and railways, bridges and factories destroyed . Clemenceau intended to ensure the security of France, by weakening Germany economically, militarily, territorially and by supplanting Germany as the leading producer of steel in Europe . A position, British economist and Versailles negotiator, John Maynard Keynes summarized as attempting to "set the clock back and undo what, since 1870, the progress of Germany had accomplished ." </P>

Who were the big 3 as associated to the treaty of versailles