Overview
- After World War I, the victorious Allied powers met in Paris to create peace treaties with the defeated Central Powers.
- These treaties were meant to redraw borders, assign blame, and prevent future conflict.
- However, the terms were often harsh and created long-term resentment, especially in Germany and the successor states of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
Each defeated country was given its own treaty:
- Germany – Treaty of Versailles
- Austria – Treaty of St Germain
- Hungary – Treaty of Trianon
- Bulgaria – Treaty of Neuilly
- Ottoman Empire – Treaty of Sèvres (later revised at Lausanne)
Treaty of Versailles (Germany, 1919)
Aims:
- Punish Germany and prevent future aggression.
- Make Germany pay reparations and accept war guilt.
- Redraw European borders and weaken Germany’s military.
Responses:
- Germany saw the treaty as a “Diktat” (dictated peace) and deeply resented Article 231.
- The treaty created anger across the political spectrum and fueled the rise of extremism.
- Allies saw it as a necessary punishment; some, like the U.S., thought it was too harsh.
- Make sure to explain how Versailles was both punitive and flawed (too harsh for reconciliation and too weak to stop future aggression.)
Treaty of St Germain (Austria, 1919)
Aims:
- Break up the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- Establish new states based on nationality (e.g. Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia).
Responses:
- Austria lost much of its industrial territory, creating serious economic hardship.
- Many Germans were left outside Austria, creating discontent (especially in Sudetenland).
- Austria became landlocked and unstable.
- Mention that although this treaty was less famous than Versailles. It had a huge regional impact in Central Europe.
