Introduction
World War I changed the geopolitical situation in the international community significantly, and the peace treaties signed after its end determined the subsequent development direction. The terms on which the peace was achieved were not equal for all parties, which is the logical consequence of the War. The side that lost in the War had to deal with the loss of authority and dominance in the region, which wasdramatically different from the geopolitical situation preceding the War. Peace treaties signed after World War I led to the weakened position of Germany and the enhancement of the political position of the Allied Powers.
Post-World War I Treaties
Security Concerns
The treaties the sides of World War I signed after the military conflict was over had different goals. Some of them focused on the division of the territories, the independence of the new states, and the reparations imposed on Germany. Three agreements were reached with representatives of the former members of the Central Powers throughout the peace conference in Paris, and two more were completed after the conference’s formal conclusion in January 1920 (Proctor, 2017).
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was regarded as the most crucial and was ratified on June 28, 1919 (Proctor, 2017). The “Big Four” representing the coalition of the Allied Powers believed that Germany should be their first concern (Proctor, 2017). Even though there were many subjects to discuss and no set program for discussion, the general public believed that Germany started the conflict in 1914 (Proctor, 2017). Therefore, the punishment of the aggressor was the question of primary importance during the discussion and ratification of the Treaty of Versailles.
Punishing Germany was not the only aim of signing the treaties, and European security was among these critical concerns. It was evident that other goals were present, particularly in light of Clemenceau’s claims, the French Prime Minister at that time (Proctor, 2017). He stated that Germany should be militarily and physically divided to ensure it would never again be an imminent danger to France (Proctor, 2017). As a result, the treaties supposed that all territories that Germany conquered during World War I would be returned to the countries they previously belonged. In addition, the German army was significantly reduced to ensure it was not dangerous to its neighbors.
Financial Goals
Another vital aspect of the treaties after the end of World War I was finances.The topic of restitution was particularly divisive; it impacted European history significantly because Germany’s financial and social instability after the War led to a new conflict several decades later (Proctor, 2017). In the end, the burden of the war losses was placed on Germany and its coalition, although specific sums of money had not been defined (Proctor, 2017).
For instance, Germany had to borrow significant sums to pay reparations, and the German government asked the United States for assistance (Proctor, 2017). The country could not afford the reparations, and the debt made the economy of post-war Germany unstable (Proctor, 2017). It allows assuming that the instability in the German financial sphere after signing the peace treaties as the result of World War I was among the reasons for World War II’s beginning.
From a legal perspective, Germany agreed to all the terms that the Allied Forces had proposed and had no choice but to sign the final Treaty of Versailles. The text of the treaty was delivered to the German delegates in May 1919, despite their absence from all of the negotiations (Proctor, 2017). The German representatives signed the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, which took place in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles (Proctor, 2017). It happened after attempting to settle some of the agreement’s most harsh conditions but failed and were at risk of confronting threats of renewed hostilities should they not accept (Proctor, 2017). In other words, the opinion of the German representatives on the treaty’s terms was not the question that worried other countries after their victory in the War.
Political Consequences
Other treaties that were signed after the end of the military conflict were connected with the destiny of other countries. After reaching a peace agreement with Germany, the Allies focused on the Central Powers, Germany’s allies, during World War I (Proctor, 2017). The coalition of the Central Powers included the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, and Austria-Hungary (Proctor, 2017).
The Treaty of Saint-Germain
The Austro-Hungarian Empire officially fell apart by the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which was agreed upon on September 10, 1919 (Proctor, 2017). The new Republic of Austria was compelled to recognize the sovereignty of over sixty percent of its former lands (Proctor, 2017). Along with a portion of Poland, this region includes the countries of newly formed nations Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia (Proctor, 2017). Therefore, the treaties marked the independence of several new states in Europe, which led to the shift of the political powers on the continent.
The Treaty of Neuilly
Several peace treaties focused on the destiny of the states from the Central Powers coalition. A few months afterward, Bulgaria ratified the Treaty of Neuilly, ceding land and transit to the Aegean Sea to the newly formed Yugoslavia (Proctor, 2017). Less than a month after the Armistice’s signing, Hungary was already an autonomous nation, divided from Austria (Proctor, 2017). As a result, it lost nearly three-quarters of its previous territory, including more than half of its people, according to the Treaty of Trianon on June 4, 1920 (Proctor, 2017). The geopolitical consequences of the Treaty of Neuilly and the Treaty of Trianon were similar to the results of the Treaty of Saint-Germain.
The Treaty of Sevres
The Treaty of Sevres, the final agreement reached during the Paris Peace Conference, was ratified in August of that year by the coalition of nations that opposed Germany and the then-existing Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmed VI welcomed it, but Mustafa Kemal, a nationalistic Turkish official in charge of an autonomy fight at the time, opposed it (Proctor, 2017).
The Treaty of Lausanne
The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which acknowledged Turkey as a new country, resulted from agreements involving Kemal’s delegates and the Allied powers (Proctor, 2017). Even though there was a significant controversy between the Turkish leaders of that time, the treaty was finally signed. Due to honest communication and a consensus after negotiation, the Paris Treaty was durable compared to all other agreements.
Conclusion
A series of peace treaties were ratified after the end of World War I. They aimed at achieving various goals, including imposing financial reparations on Germany for the country’s aggression, the division of its territory, and the reduction of the number of people in military service. In addition, the treaties ratified the appearance of autonomous states and the independence of the former colonies that belonged to Germany and its allies. In all cases, the treaties focused on the division of power after the military conflict ended, which led to the emergency of the new geopolitical context. The countries that fought in the coalition against Germany and its allies received more political power after Germany lost the War it initiated.
Reference
Proctor, T. M. (2017). World war I: A short history. John Wiley & Sons.