Versailles Treaty & WWI's End: Causes, Consequences, Key Provisions, Appunti di Storia

Scarica Versailles Treaty & WWI's End: Causes, Consequences, Key Provisions e più Appunti in PDF di Storia solo su Docsity! TREATY OF VERSAILLES -> it was one of the most important peace agreement and the treaty ended the state of war between Germany and Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919 in the palace of Versailles. To understand what this peace agreement was we must understand the circumstances that happened: BREST-LITOVSK and OCTOBER REVOLUTION • In March 1918 the new Bolshevik government signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk -> this treaty ended Russia’s participation in the 1 WW. In this treaty Russia ceded to Germany hegemony over Lituania, Latvia, Estonia > German vassal states under German Princelings. Russia ceded province of Kars to the Ottoman Empire and recognised the indipendence of Ukraine. There’s the necessity to establish new states in this land but how? US ENTRANCE into the WAR • The American entry into the 1 WW in April 1917. The United States had also joined the Triple Entante. The Zimmerman Telegram was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office in Jan 1917 that proposed military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States entered 1 WW against Germany. The secret telegram was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence. Revelation of the continents helped to generate support for the American declaration of war on Germany. American opinion was negative toward Germany especially after this telegram => they joined the war. That contributed with large number of troups that helped break the German lines. They denterei in the world against central power also because they were far away from Europe so they could present themselves as a third party, someone who has no interest COLLPASE OF GERMANY both on the military and • the civilian side 1919 German Military had been defeated. In German there was some revolts that forced the Kaiser to abdicate and set up a democratic republic. People were starving because of the blockade of Germany (14-19). It was a naval operation conducted by Allied powers to stop the supply of raw materials and foodstuffs reaching the Central powers. ANTIGERMAN SENTIMENTS in England and France • Germany remains the only central power. Austro- Hungarian empire had been dissolved, Ottoman Empire too. Scapegold (=capro espiatorio). Germany had broken all the HAUGE conventions: convention to set moral rules. They used chemical weapons. They had used zeppelin (=dirigibile). They had attacked civilian neutral ships. They did terrible things so they were treated like a monster. his advisors to see the conditions of people of Dalmazia. 14 point called for a “super national entity” that would avoid fighting ->LEAGUE OF NATION founded in 1920 Wilson was against the idea of annexing German colonies to England and France, Wilson saw that as a violation of the fundamental principles of justice and human rights of the native populations, and favored them having the right of self-determination via the creation of mandates. Supported the idea of white mans: people of Africa could not govern themselves, that they were savages. Italy aims -> Italy wanted a full implementation of treaty of London: Trentino, Trieste, Dalmatian coast, Albania and German colonies. Italian people wanted also Fiume next to Istria. Other nation didn’t want bc Italy had failed in its battles. They used many troupes to avoid a complete collapse of Italian lines (after Caporetto collapse). In October 1917 Austrians attacked our front in Friuli => we were forced to retreat until river Piave but when the Austrians were stopped on the Piave, British and France forces were taken to the western front to Italy to stop Austrians Japan was one of the big 5 nation. Japan did not refuse to join the league of nation. They supported also Russian equality proposial to put all man equals. Treaty signed on June 28th 1919 -> WHAT IS WRITTEN? Germany: 1 annulment of treaty of Brest Litovks the various lands that Germany had seized from Russia were organised into separate nations. EAST territories: Poland gained some new states + German land (ethically polish) + “Polish Corridor” that separate Germany in 2 parts. Germany was connected to Prussia through city of Danzig that became indipendent (under the control of the league of nation). Some England people thought that German had the right to put its hands on the “polish corridor. 2 WEST: Germany returned Alsace Lorane to France -> It had been seized by Germany more than 40 years earlier. 3Belgium received Eupen and Malmedy 4 the industrial Saar region was placed under the administration of the League of Nations for 15 years 5 Treaty of Saint German 1919 -> Austrian empire was split up between Austria (became a Republic), Poland and Slovenia, also Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Serbia (that will form Yugoslavia, the state of Slaves). Italy gained Trentino Trieste And Istria. Romania gained Bucovina. Austria could not modified his asset (it was not possible the unification of Germany) 6 Treaty of Sevres 1920: Ottoman Empire was split up. Ottomans had only control onTurkey, other states would be were divided between French and British control. They didn’t consider the condition of the states. 7 Germany had to take the blame for the war: military restriction: German colonies were to be set up as mandates. German army was heavily regulated because it could no longer employed more than 1200 soldiers. Germany could no longer posses any Air Force and could no longer produce weapons, chemical weapons. Conscription was abolished => no longer conscript soldiers, only volunteers. The region between France and Germany had to delimitate Germans power. 8 Reparations -> lot of golden MARKS for the damages. Nobody liked these conditions because some found it too unfair other not enough punitive. Britain had sent economist, called Keynes, to oversee the treaty. the British economist harshly criticized the treaty: it did not allow the economic recovery that would have favored trade with Britain. Sanctions against Germany would have caused instability. Keynes expressed this view in his essay The Economic Consequences of the Peace.