Treaties And The Allied Powers example essay topic

When armistice was signed, there was a going to be another long and arduous struggle, but this times it was to take place around a negotiating table. After the war the toll was grand: 8 million soldiers died, and millions of the survivors were either physically crippled or physiologically damaged. 20 million more died after the war: 5 million from Famine and 15 million more from the flu epidemic. Loved ones had been lost, which pressured politicians to making many wrong decisions. The treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany, besides that: Treaty of St. Germain was signed with Austria, Treaty of Neuilly was signed with Bulgaria, Treaty of Sevres was signed with the Ottoman Empire and later on Treaty of Lausanne with Turkey. 'We have won the war, now we have to win the peace's aid Georges Clemenceau, but had sustainable peace been achieved?

The Treaty Of Saint Germain was singed between the Allied powers and Austria, September 1919. The treaty required Austria to recognise the independence of Hungary. Moreover, Austria was demanded to concede land to form Czechoslovakia, and give up Galicia to Poland. The Austrian state also lost Southern Tyrol to Italy. Austria was also allowed an army of 30,000 conscripts and was forbidden to unite with Germany. The naval fleet was either destroyed or distributed among the allied forces.

The Treaty of St. Germain provided self-determination for many peoples; however, in the process of doing so it stripped Austria of many fertile and prosperous regions, such as Bohemia and Moravia. Since these were densely Czech populated provinces they were used to form a Czechoslovakia, along with Sudetenland from Germany and Slovakia from Hungary, which is mainly Slovak. The Treaty of Trianon was signed between the Allied powers and Hungary, June 1920. In consideration of the territorial separation in this treaty, it contains many similarities to the terms of the Treaty of St Germain. Hungary lost two thirds of its territory and half of its population through the peace settlement. Hungarian territory was separated: Slovakia was given to Czechoslovakia, Slovenia and Croatia was taken to form Yugoslavia and Transylvania was given to Romania.

Moreover, the Allied Powers took over the port of Fiume. There were some small provinces given to Italy. The Hungarian armed forces were limited to 35,000 trained men and officers. Moreover, Hungary was to aid devastated countries with livestock, and provide coal for the Yugoslav Kingdom for 5 years.

Reparations were to be paid in 66 instalments and the amount was to be fixed by the reparations commission. The Treaty of Neuilly was signed with Bulgaria and the Allied Powers, November 1919. Bulgaria was made to cede some territories to Romania and Yugoslavia. Furthermore, it surrendered western Thrace to the allies who granted it to Greece. Bulgarian armed forces were limited to 33,000 professional men. She was also to pay reparations.

The main aim in separating the provinces and dissolving Empires was to satisfy the Self-determination clause of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Point Program and to protect ethnic minorities in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. There were many problems with the separation of these provinces. Since the new nations were formed in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, there were to be new governments, new capitals and a new order. First and foremost there was separation of local economy, which led to depression in this area also. There was a separation in local communication firms and local transportation and local currencies. Since each country had their own economy they displayed protectionism: placed tariffs on major imports to protect their own produces.

This led to tariff wars, the countries put tariffs on each other's produce, this led to little competition and little production. Restrictions on trade were increased as new, different and unreliable currencies were introduced. Furthermore, the Austrian Empire's capital city population was somewhat proportional to the countries population. When the Austrian Empire dissolved, the population distribution among her was very uneven, soon there was large-scale unemployment and starvation in the capital city: Vienna's population of three million dropped dramatically. The war guilt clause, blaming the central powers for causing the war could be found in Both St. Germain Treaty and Neuilly Treaty.

It was resented throughout the countries for this clause also brought with it the reparations clause, which meant that the defeated nations were to pay for the allied losses with hard cash or goods. Moreover, since the countries were stripped of their land and population their people were enraged over the treaties and the Allied powers were blamed with the economic depression that followed. During the late 1930's another problem was reached. The small Balkan and Eastern European states were positioned between two large, powerful and ambitious allies: Germany and Russia. They were not only pressurised by their military power but also the social and ideological influences. They had no grounds to oppose their great power and fell quickly during the Second World War.

The treaty of Sevres was signed between The Ottoman Empire and a part of the allied powers, August 1919. The Treaty dissolved the Ottoman Empire, it only left the Capital city, Constantinople and surrounding areas. There was no idea of self-determination in this treaty: Greeks were to occupy Smyrna, Rhodes and the Dodecanese Islands were granted to the Italians and the French occupied Mario, Urfa and An tep. The Arabian provinces were to be divided up between Britain and France: France was to take Syria and Lebanon, Britain was to take Palestine, Iraq and Transjordan under the mandate system.

Moreover, the straits were to be in international control. The nationalist group opposed this treaty and an Independence War was fought. After the Greeks and French were defeated the Ottoman government was overthrown and The Republic of Turkey was established. In 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. With this treaty Smyrna and Eastern Thrace were restored to turkey. Control of the country was restored to Turkey, and the navigation in the straits was made free.

The trade capitulations were removed. The Treaty of Serves is the true face of the colonial powers. Furthermore, it is vital to realise that the countries placed under the mandate system had a great strategic power over the Suez Canal. Obviously, France and Britain's objectives were to leave no strong or capable state in the area of strategic importance for them. This is why they adapted the mandate system. If self-determination was truly believed in then colonialism would not have continued with a change of a name.

The treaty was considered extremely harsh and that's why it lead to a war of independence with the leadership of Mustafa Kemal. After a beaten nation managed to defeat Greece it moved towards the British; however, by 1922 both sides were war-sick! An agreement was attained for peace talks to begin. The Lausanne Conference was held in Switzerland, mutual agreements were reached by the nations, which led to a long lasting and sustainable peace for the Republic of Turkey. The reason the treaty of Lausanne lasted was because it was negotiated through the interest of all parties, unlike the other peace settlements, which were just imposed from above. After the treaty of Lausanne there were many problems in the middle-east.

The Arab provinces were promised independence if they gave assistance to allied powers during The Great War. This help was provided but these people were not given the right of self-determination. The French were unable to control the religious between the Christian and Muslims. The French were the only strong authority in the country and they displayed a lack of capability to solve the issue, which only increased the civil disorder. When Hitler came to power, Britain would let the Jews from Germany and other parts of Europe flee too the Middle-East and especially Palestine.

They would open the borders when they were pressurised and close them again when they were pressurised by the opposing side. This also led to civil disorder and in 1948 Britain retreated from the area in a mess for the locals to sort out. The predicament had escalated and still carries on today. I believe that the only successful, fair and sustainable peace treaty of them all was The Treaty Of Lausanne. The Treaty of St. Germain, the Treaty of Trianon, the treaty of Nue illy and the treaty of Sevres were imposed upon the people of the countries it was signed with. It stripped many countries of their fertile and prosperous provinces and loaded them with heavy reparations.

I do not consider these treaties any more successful than the Treaty of Versailles.