PostWWI Peace Treaties and the League of Nations

Post-WWI Peace Treaties and the League of Nations

A Nervous Wreck

Europe’s Post-WWI Era u “For us in old Europe, everything has died that was good and unique to us. Our admirable rationality has become madness, our gold is paper, our machines can only shoot and explode, our art is suicide; we are going under, friends. ” u Thomas Mann, 1924

Legacies of The Great War u Creation of a German Republic u Treaty of Versailles, 1919 u Dismantling of Russian, German, Ottoman, and A-H Empires u Ongoing national and ethnic rivalries u Economic crises u Political extremes: Nationalism and Totalitarianism

Treaty of Versailles u u The Covenant of the League of Nations: THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES, In order to promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war by the prescription of open, just and honourable relations between nations by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another Agree to this Covenant of the League of Nations

Can It Survive?

Treaty of Versailles Boundaries of Germany u Most productive areas given over to France or to League of Nations administration for war reparations u New states created (ex. Czech-Slovak, Poland) u Germany gives up all colonies (“Interests Outside Germany”) u German military significantly reduced – arms can only be produced under Allied supervision – military equipment must be surrendered u

Treaty of Versailles POW agreements u “The Allied and Associated Powers publicly arraign William II of Hohenzollern, formerly German Emperor, for a supreme offence against international morality and the sanctity of treaties. ” u Reparations and “war guilt” – Detailed damages and payment schedules u Financial Clauses – German economy is essentially under Allied control u Economic Clauses – Germany charged for imports, but cannot levy taxes or tariffs u

Treaty of Versailles u Creation of “Free Zones” in German ports, railways, airspace, roads, rivers u International Labor Commission created u Allied occupation of border territories u Agreement on new nations

Turn on the Hose

Touch Not a Single Bough

Life Preserver

The Rainbow

Blowing Bubbles

Other Treaties and Outcomes u 1925 Geneva Protocols: No poison gas or bacteriological weapons u u u First Geneva Convention was in 1864, then 1906 Treaty of Neuilly, 1919: Borders of Bulgaria and new Balkan states Treaty of Trianon, 1920: Hungary’s borders and protection of minorities Treaty of Sevres/Lausanne, 1923: Borders of Turkey, protection of minorities, opening of Dardanelles, and reparations Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928: Renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy

Muzzled