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Wilson's Points
US president Woodrow Wilson suggested 14 points as his foundation of his peace settlement for why he went to war. Among those points were the major ones of a need for open diplomacy for peace rather than meetings in secret, as well as reducing military arms and weapons to a point that still ensures domestic safety and ensure the right for each people to have its own nation, also called self-determination. Wilson's Points -
Wilson's Portrayal of War
He stated World War One was peoples war against absolutism and militarism which are the enemies of liberty and could only be eliminated by democratic government and a association of nations that would guarantee political independence and territorial space to both large and small states. Wilson was praised for his suggestions for a new world order and international cooperation. Wilson's Portrayal -
Paris Peace Conference
Delegates met in Paris in 1919 to deliberate the complications of secret treaties, agreements made before the war, and national interests. Important decisions were made by US president Wilson, French ambassador, Clemenceau, and P.M. of Britain, Lloyd George. Wilson wanted to prevent future wars, and Clemenceau and Lloyd George wanted to punish Germany. In the end compromise was the only thing to make the peace settlement possible. Wilson made League of Nations, an international peacekeeping org. -
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Treaty of Versailles Germany
This was the final peace settlement reached in Paris after WW1, actually consisted of five separate treaties for the defeated countries of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The treaty was especially hard on Germany in the form of article 231, where it made them pay for all damages in the allied governments, caused by German attacks. The treaty caused cutbacks of both German land and military. It reduced its army to only 100,000 men cut back its navy and eliminated their air force. -
Treaty of Neuilly
Bulgaria was one of the allies with Germany, but Germany was not going to be charitable to Bulgaria, land was taken from Bulgaria and a reparation was required. Land in western Bulgaria was given to the future Yugoslavia, Bulgaria had forcibly occupied parts of Serbia (Bulgaria’s punishment). Bulgaria was required to reduce its army, and were ordered to pay reparations of £100 million. Bulgarian people were outraged. However, they were not going to do anything about it. -
Treaty of Trianon
The Allies first peace settlement was delayed with Hungary at first because of its new Communist government led by Bela Kun. Hungary went through many government changes following WW1 and did not reach a peace settlement with the Allies until 1920 in Neuilly. Hungary was stripped of 2/3’s of its land and people. Large portions of it were given to Austria and newly recognized independent states. The movement of its land left many ethnic minorities in many areas, which broke self-determination -
Germany Land Restrictions
It gave France back two of their cities, Alsace and Lorraine which were taken in an earlier conquest before the war in 1871 as well as sections of eastern germany, which went to a new polish country. A demilitarized zone was declared on both sides of the Rhine River, the border between France and Germany in case of another outbreak of war between the two in the future. Although the Germans were outraged by the treaty there was no option but to except of face the destruction of their country. -
Treaty of Saint-Germain
The treaty officially broke up the Habsburg Empire, also known as the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and recognized the independence of Poland, Hungary and many more. Much of its land was dissipated to give self-determination to others. Also in agreement with the newly created League of nations, Austria was forbidden to ally with Germany again without consent from the League. Austria military was limited to 30,000 men and its navy was broken up and given to the newly created countries. Saint-Germain -
Treaty of Serves
The terms were harsh to the Ottoman Empire, they were left angered by their treatments. Britain, Italy and France signed it for the victorious Allies. Britain took control of Palestine and Iraq, given very generous amounts of oil, while France took over Syria. The Kingdom of Hejaz was declared as an independent kingdom. The Treaty failed to deal with the issue of a Kurdistan. Ottoman Empire had military restrictions imposed on it. Only France, Italy and Great Britain could be debt bondholders. -
Ethnic Minorities and the Middle East
As a result of the compromises and supposed self-determination almost every new and old redrawn country was left with an ethnic minority, and no right of self-determination. There were the Germans in Poland, the Hungarians in Romania, etc. The Ottoman Empire was also broken up in the process, and to gain their support for the War the Western Allies had agreed to recognize the Arab states independence, but changed their minds and France took control of Lebanon and Syria. -
New Map of Europe
After the treaties of Versailles and other peace settlements had been made the face of Eastern Europe was greatly changed. Germany and Russia lost a lof of land in Eastern Europe, and The Austrian-Hungarian Empire was destroyed. New countries emerged from those lands such as Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary. The new boundaries and territories were supposed to be guided by self-determination, but France had lost Russia as its only ally east of Germany
