WWI Aftermath: Treaties and Consequences

Consequences of World War I

The Paris Peace Conference of January 1919, attended by the victorious nations, aimed to establish a new world order. Key figures included Woodrow Wilson (USA), Georges Clemenceau (France), and David Lloyd George (Great Britain). Wilson advocated for the principle of self-determination of nationalities within empires, meaning no territorial restrictions. However, other leaders opposed this, seeking economic and political compensations.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, imposed several conditions on Germany:

• Territorial concessions: Return of Alsace and Lorraine to France, and Posnania to Poland.
• Withdrawal of settlements.
• Payment of substantial war reparations.
• Abolition of compulsory military service.
• Restriction of the army to 100,000 men.
• Prohibition of a union (Anschluss) with Austria.

Germany was declared solely responsible for the war, leading to widespread humiliation and contributing to the rise of fascism.

Treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) and Trianon (1920)

These treaties addressed the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire:

• Conversion of Austria-Hungary into a republic.
• Territorial gains for Poland, Romania, and Italy.
• Creation of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
• Reduction of Austria and Hungary to landlocked states.
• Prohibition of a union between Austria and Germany.

Treaty of Neuilly (1919)

Bulgaria faced the following terms:

• Loss of territories to Greece.
• Limitations on its armed forces.
• Payment of war reparations.

Treaty of Sèvres (1920)

This treaty dealt with the Ottoman Empire:

• Dissolution of the Turkish Empire, with territories redistributed to Arabs and Greeks.
• Significant territorial losses.
• Balfour Declaration (1917): A statement by the British Foreign Secretary supporting the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

Other Consequences

• Amidst the war, the USSR was created in 1922. Russia was excluded from the peace treaties.
• A "sanitary cordon" was established, comprising Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.
• The League of Nations was created in 1919 to ensure peace, security, and international cooperation. It was dissolved in April 1946 and succeeded by the United Nations (1945-present).

The principle of nationalities emerged as a significant outcome of the war, leading to substantial political changes, including the deposition of traditional dynasties. The war resulted in immense human and material losses, demographic imbalances (empty generations), psychological trauma, and the definitive loss of European hegemony. The USA and Japan benefited economically, while Europe faced significant challenges. There were also notable social changes, including increased female participation in the workforce and progress towards democracy.