Post-WWI Peace Treaties & Their Consequences
Post-WWI Peace Treaties
The Peace of the Victors: Peace Treaties
The victors diverged when meeting in Paris. Wilson wanted to impose a peace based on law, respect for nations, free trade, disarmament, and democracy. France, however, wanted strong compensations.
The most important treaty was the Treaty of Versailles. It was developed on the basis that Germany was responsible for the conflict. It gave Alsace and Lorraine to France, Poznan to Poland, and separated East Prussia from the rest of the territory by the Danzig corridor. The German colonies were divided among the victorious countries.
Germany was ordered to pay heavy war reparations to compensate for destruction. It had to deliver the coal mines of the Saar to France, and its assets abroad and merchant fleet were seized. Germany was forced to restrict the size of its army to only 100,000 men, and the union of Germany with Austria was prohibited.
Other treaties included:
- Treaty of Saint-Germain: Austria ceded all Slavic territories and became a republic.
- Treaty of Trianon: Hungary lost its access to the sea, and some of its territories were ceded to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania.
- Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine: Bulgaria ceded part of its territory to Greece.
- Treaty of Sèvres: The Ottoman Empire ceded territories to British and French control.
The League of Nations
The Treaty of Versailles created the League of Nations, which was intended to guarantee peace. The headquarters was established in Geneva with two agencies: the General Assembly and a Council composed of the victorious powers (France, Britain, Italy, and Japan) and four temporary members.
The League of Nations was responsible for monitoring treaties and ensuring disarmament. Despite being the driving force behind it, the U.S. did not join the organization. Its absence, and that of the vanquished nations and Russia, weakened the League of Nations’ moral force to enforce its decisions.
Consequences of the War
Demographic and Economic Effects
Eight million people died, six million were disabled, and the flu epidemic of 1918 particularly affected mobilized men. World War I meant the loss of European hegemony in the global economy. France lost 30% of its wealth, and Germany 22%. All countries were particularly indebted to the United States.
The United States was the main beneficiary of the war and became a leader of global finance. Its gross national product doubled, its fleet replaced Britain’s as the redistributor of world trade, and the dollar replaced the pound sterling as the base currency in international transactions.
Japan increased its production to cope with European orders, which it used to diversify its industrial production, expanding its commodities and increasing exports. It was able to launch a commercial and maritime expansion in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and China.
Political and Territorial Implications
New states emerged: Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Traditional dynasties of the great empires were overthrown: the Romanovs in Russia fell in 1917, the Habsburgs in Austria and the Hohenzollerns in Germany fell in late 1918, and Turkey abolished the sultanate.
Social Changes
The war disrupted the social structure. A nouveau riche class emerged, benefiting from war businesses, and flaunted their wealth in front of those in need. Poverty affected those with fixed incomes and wage earners because rising prices reduced their purchasing power.
European colonial hegemony began to be challenged. Many colonized people expected an improvement in their situation. The war gave women a new role; they constituted 35% of the industrial workforce. Dresses became shorter, and it became fashionable for women to drive cars, frequent cafes, and express political or social views.