How did the war end? Who was involved?
World War I came to an end when the balance of power shifted in favor to the Allies ( Serbia, France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, the U.S., and other nations) against the central powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire). Even though the United States wasn't really prepared for the war, the American government moved quick to rally the troops and citizens behind the war effort. Eventually, the number of troops grew which helped a lot when the U.S. troops got to Europe. Also, President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson stated in his speech his Fourteen Points (A statement that the Great war was being fought for a moral cause and for the postwar peace in Europe) which had established the conditions for the armistices that had brought an end to World War I. Germany agreed on a truce, and the Central Powers surrendered. In January 1919, Allied representatives gathered in Paris, France to draft the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers. They gathered and discussed a series of treaties which is where the Paris Peace Treaties came in. These treaties reshaped the map of Europe with new borders and countries. The defeated Central Powers' colonial empires in Africa, southwest Asia, and the Pacific, would be divided and distributed between the successful colonial empires.
what did each country want from the paris peace conference?
the united states
The United States hoped to establish a more liberal and diplomatic world, as they stated in the fourteen points, where democracy, sovereignty, liberal and self-determination would be respected.
Britain
Maintenance of the British Empire's unity, holdings and interests were an overarching concern for the British delegates to the conference, but they had more specific goals at the conference. They wanted to ensure France's security, remove any possible threat of the German High Seas Fleet, settle territorial contentions, and support the Wilsonian League of Nations. This is what the British wanted all in that order of priority.
Australia
The Australian delegation led by the Prime Minister Wanted war reparations annexation of German New Guinea and rejection of the Japanese racial equality proposal.
canada
The prime Minister of Canada demanded that it had a separate seat at the conference away from the British dominion because he was convinced that Canada had been a nation on the battlefields of Europe. This was opposed by the British and the U.S., but the Prime Minister said that they at leas had the right to the representation of a minor power because Canada had lost more of their men compared to the U.S. in war. Bit later, he boycotted the opening of the ceremony.
china
Wanted Germany's concessions on the Shandong to be returned to China and further called for an end to imperialist institutions such as legation guards and foreign lease holds.
france
The French wanted to weaken German military, strategically and economically. He was also adamant that Germany should not be able to attack France again because of the two German attacks on French soil from the past forty years. They also sought an American and British guarantee of french security in the event of another German attack
Italy
They aimed to gain what they were offered in the Treaty of London which was The places of Trentino, Brenner, Trieste, Istria, Valona and Albania,Antalya in Turkey.
Japan
The Japanese delegation of 64 focused on two demands: the inclusion of their racial equality proposal in the League's Covenant and Japanese territorial claims with respect to former German colonies and the Pacific islands north to the equator.
results of the peace treaties
Many peace treaties were prepared at the Paris Peace conference and each treaty had a result.
THe Treaty of versailles-
This ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. Of the many things the the treaty included, one of the most important was the requirement of Germany to accept responsibility for causing the war and to make substantiated territorial concessions and pay heavy reparations to certain countries.
the treaty of saint-germain -
This treaty contained the covenant of the League of Nations and as a result was not ratified by the United States.
THe treaty of neuilly-
This treaty required Bulgaria to cede Western Thrace, to cede a further area on its western border with what is now Yugoslavia, to return Southern Dobruja which had been captured during the war, and to reduce its army by 20.000 men.
the treaty of trianon-
The treaty regulated the status of an independant Hungarian state and defined its borders. This treaty also limited post-Trianion Hungary's army to 35.000 officers and men. There also ended up being principal beneficiaries of the treaty's territorial division. The modern boundaries of HUngary are the same as those of defined by this treaty.
the treaty of sevres
This treaty was signed with the Ottoman Empire. The terms were harsh and several in the Ottoman Empire were angered. After it was signed, Russia was excluded from the process and America had withdrawn into a policy of isolation. The treaty had carved up the Ottoman Empire, generally referred to as the Middle East. Britain took over Palestine while France took over Syria, Lebanon and some land in southern Anatolia. East and west Anatolia were declared areas of French influence. Britain also took over Iraq.
europe after wwi
• The former empire of Austria-Hungary was broken up, and new nations were created
from its land: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
• The Ottoman Turks had to give up much of their land in southwest Asia and the
Middle East. In Europe, they kept only the country of Turkey.
• Poland, which had been divided among Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary,
was reconstituted.
• Russian land made the new nations of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• Russia and Austria-Hungary gave up more territory to Poland and Romania
from its land: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
• The Ottoman Turks had to give up much of their land in southwest Asia and the
Middle East. In Europe, they kept only the country of Turkey.
• Poland, which had been divided among Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary,
was reconstituted.
• Russian land made the new nations of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• Russia and Austria-Hungary gave up more territory to Poland and Romania
the middle east
After WWI, the Middle East changed. India became a British Colony and soon after, they had a conflict with Britain about trade zones. The Ottoman Empire lasted longer than the other two gunpowder nations but was still slowly dying. Serbia separated from them with the help of Russia because Russia was the "Mother of All Slavs". Britain promised the Middle East Palestine and the Jewish but after was divided in to modern day countries.