Causes and Consequences of World War I: Treaties

The First World War

The First World War (1914-1918) was the most serious international conflict that the world had experienced at the time. Countries on different continents entered the combat. In 1918, the fighting stopped, and peace negotiations began. The first peace treaty was signed in 1919. Known at the time as the "Great War," all countries tried to create a network of alliances that would prepare them for war. The war began with the assassination of the heir of Austria. Heads of state of countries were prime.

The Moroccan Crisis

There were several conflicts in the early twentieth century, including the Agadir incident. Agadir was a port town with a natural interest to many powers. Germany claimed that that aspect, rather than being only French, should be open to everyone. The Germans sent a warship, put it in the port of Agadir, and threatened to conquer it. Germany ultimately backtracked. There was conflict in the Rif and Atlas, especially with the indigenous population. The Rif is a mountainous area that makes it difficult to control the territory. Part of the population harassed the troops, leading to wars with France and Spain.

The Balkan Crisis

The territory of the Balkans was held by the Turks. There were three major wars in which the intention was to drive the Turks from the Balkan Peninsula and achieve the independence of several countries. The peace treaties that were made were very detailed but proved useless because the war broke out again. Any conflict in this area could set off a world war.

The Treaty of Versailles

In 1919, the victors signed the Treaty of Versailles with Germany. It set an example as it was the first of its kind and had the most consequences due to its harsh conditions:

• Alsace and Lorraine passed to France.
• The Duchy of Schleswig became part of Denmark.
• The Danzig Corridor was established, linking the coast of the Baltic Sea to Poland and was proclaimed a free city.
• The creation of Poland was recognized.
• The Saarland, a very economically rich region, was administered by the League of Nations. The money generated was distributed by the League of Nations but controlled by France and Great Britain.
• The territory west of the Rhine was demilitarized.
• Union with Austria was expressly prohibited.
• The German army was limited, the air force was prohibited, and the navy was reduced to a few coast guard boats.
• War reparations were fixed, and Germany had to pay money to the victors. The figure they wanted was so great that everything produced in a year would not even be enough to pay the interest.

Treaty of Saint-Germain

The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed in 1919 with Austria under similar conditions to the Treaty of Versailles. This included Tyrol, the southern part of Italy, and the Istrian Peninsula as well. The Austrian Empire was divided into several countries: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Poland. The Austrian army was limited.

The Treaty of Neuilly

The Treaty of Neuilly, signed with Bulgaria, was one of the countries that first became independent. Conditions included Bulgaria losing territory in western Thrace to Greece, losing its outlet to the Aegean Sea, and limiting the number of troops.

The Treaty of Trianon

In 1920, the Treaty of Trianon was signed with Hungary. Although it was thought that Hungary was not independent of Austria, it was decided that it was appropriate to sign. This treaty first recognized Hungary as an independent country. Hungary lost some of its original territory and had a smaller army.

The Treaty of Sevres (1920)

The Treaty of Sevres was signed with Turkey in 1920. There were a number of territorial deliveries: the Turkish Aegean coast and some islands were delivered to Greece. Greece and Turkey prolonged the war between them. Turkey lost the vast territory it held in the Middle East (Egypt, Palestine, Iraq). This was administered by the League of Nations, but not having money, these territories were handed over as protectorates to France and the UK.