I'm currently researching this topic but I can barely find anything on Orlando's influence on Versailles specifically. The most I know is that Orlando was Italy's "national bill collector" (found in Stokesbury's A Short History of WW1), but nothing on how he influenced the treaty itself. I'm wondering if I'm justified in completely ignoring Italy when discussing the treaty and what caused it to fail.
Additionally, I found this post on this subreddit with the same exact title. No one answered it. Though I'm not the same guy, he sounds just like me. Any help (even some links or books, or someone reassuring me that I'm allowed to ignore Italy in my discussion) would be enough.
Thanks in advance!
My old history teacher in preparation for my exams once said that even though Orlando was involved in peace conference, he had difficulty communicating with the other leaders (due to speaking little English), this then allowed Orlando's foreign minister, the Half-Italian, Half-Welsh, Sidney Sonnino to control & (IIRC) Orlando & Sonnino had differing views on Italy's involvement in the conference e.g.
Orlando was willing to hand over the territory of Dalmatia to the Croatians in exchange for the primarily italian speaking Croatian city of Fiume (Now "Rijeka")
Whereas Sonnino wasn't willing to give up Dalmatia, Because Sonnino spoke English (and Welsh) as well as Italian where Orlando didn't it was easier for Sonnino to get his way.
Due to all this internal commotion between the Italian delegates, Orlando left the conference, however he did return the following month but was forced to resign (I believe it was because Orlando supported the Japanese "Racial Equality Proposal" & the other nations were against it). When Orlando resigned, It just became the "Big Three".
Orlando would later remark that he was glad he wasn't a part of the Treaty of Versailles after seeing what outrage & chaos it would cause Europe in the years to come.
Sources:
Macmillian. M (2002); Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World
Lauren. G. P (1988); Power And Prejudice: The Politics And Diplomacy Of Racial Discrimination