Territory Sought, Lost, or Gained
The Treaty of Versailles:
This treaty divided German lands between France, Denmark and Belgium. France took back the provinces of Lorraine and Alsace while Belgium received “minor border changes in its favor, and a plebiscite resulted in Denmark gaining a slice of Danish-populated territory along Germany’s northern border” (Lyons, 2010).
While France also wanted to annex the coal-rich area of Saar, due to the destruction of French coal mines by the Germans, Wilson and Loyde-George instead agreed to place the area under the jurisdiction of the League of Nations for 15 years while allowing France to operate it during this time. The agreement made it very clear, however, that “the population, which was solidly German, would have the right to determine the permanent fate of the Saar by plebiscite in 1935” (Lyons, 2010).
This treaty divided German lands between France, Denmark and Belgium. France took back the provinces of Lorraine and Alsace while Belgium received “minor border changes in its favor, and a plebiscite resulted in Denmark gaining a slice of Danish-populated territory along Germany’s northern border” (Lyons, 2010).
While France also wanted to annex the coal-rich area of Saar, due to the destruction of French coal mines by the Germans, Wilson and Loyde-George instead agreed to place the area under the jurisdiction of the League of Nations for 15 years while allowing France to operate it during this time. The agreement made it very clear, however, that “the population, which was solidly German, would have the right to determine the permanent fate of the Saar by plebiscite in 1935” (Lyons, 2010).
The Treaty of St. Germain with Austria and the Treaty of Trianon with Hungary:
These two treaties broke up the country of Austria-Hungary up, leaving in its place several new countries in Central Europe. Czechoslovakia was created; made up from land given from both Austria and Hungary.
Yugoslavia was created through a merger of prewar Serbia and Montenegro along with portions of Austria-Hungary while Trentino, Trieste and Istria and their large Italian populations merged with Italy.
In the southeast the prewar state Rumania was joined by the Rumanians in the provinces of Banat and Transylvania while “the extreme northeastern portion of Austria-Hungary, joined their kinsmen in territories formerly under German and Russian domination to create the independent state of Poland” (Lyons, 2010).
These treaties also forced Germany to give up the lands they had wrestled from the Russians at Brest-Litovsk. The civil war in Russia prevented the Russian government from reclaiming these areas so multiple independent states created by various national groups took their place.
These independent states included Finland in the far north as well as “three small countries along the shore of the Baltic—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania” (Lyons, 2010). Poland absorbed the region inhabited by Poles while the Ukrainians established their own state.
The area of Bessarabia was annexed by Rumanian as it possessed a mixed Rumanian and Ukrainian population.
These two treaties broke up the country of Austria-Hungary up, leaving in its place several new countries in Central Europe. Czechoslovakia was created; made up from land given from both Austria and Hungary.
Yugoslavia was created through a merger of prewar Serbia and Montenegro along with portions of Austria-Hungary while Trentino, Trieste and Istria and their large Italian populations merged with Italy.
In the southeast the prewar state Rumania was joined by the Rumanians in the provinces of Banat and Transylvania while “the extreme northeastern portion of Austria-Hungary, joined their kinsmen in territories formerly under German and Russian domination to create the independent state of Poland” (Lyons, 2010).
These treaties also forced Germany to give up the lands they had wrestled from the Russians at Brest-Litovsk. The civil war in Russia prevented the Russian government from reclaiming these areas so multiple independent states created by various national groups took their place.
These independent states included Finland in the far north as well as “three small countries along the shore of the Baltic—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania” (Lyons, 2010). Poland absorbed the region inhabited by Poles while the Ukrainians established their own state.
The area of Bessarabia was annexed by Rumanian as it possessed a mixed Rumanian and Ukrainian population.
The Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria and the Treaty of Sèvres with Turkey:
These treaties dealt with the minor central powers of Bulgaria and Turkey. In the Treaty of Sèvres, Turkey is forced “to relinquish all of its remaining Balkan territory to Greece with the exception of the great city of Constantinople (soon to be renamed Istanbul)” (Lyons, 2010) while Greece gained the right to control a large portion of Turkey’s Asian coast. Turkey also lost all its Arab-inhabited lands with only Saudi Arabia gaining independence. Syria and Lebanon went to France while Britain “won Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq, all as mandates” (Lyons, 2010).
The treaty of Neuilly forced Bulgaria to give up a large “strip of territory along the coast of the Aegean Sea to Greece and two small border areas to Yugoslavia” (Lyons, 2010).
These treaties dealt with the minor central powers of Bulgaria and Turkey. In the Treaty of Sèvres, Turkey is forced “to relinquish all of its remaining Balkan territory to Greece with the exception of the great city of Constantinople (soon to be renamed Istanbul)” (Lyons, 2010) while Greece gained the right to control a large portion of Turkey’s Asian coast. Turkey also lost all its Arab-inhabited lands with only Saudi Arabia gaining independence. Syria and Lebanon went to France while Britain “won Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq, all as mandates” (Lyons, 2010).
The treaty of Neuilly forced Bulgaria to give up a large “strip of territory along the coast of the Aegean Sea to Greece and two small border areas to Yugoslavia” (Lyons, 2010).
References
- Lyons, M. (2010). World War II: A short history (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
- Google. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search
- http://www.ushmm.org/lcmedia/map/lc/image/ger71020.gif
- http://carolynyeager.net/sites/default/files/styles/large/private/Post%20wwI%20division%20of%20Austro-Hungary.jpg?itok=n_MeGhkK
- https://uahsibhistory.wikispaces.com/file/view/sevres.png/91902573/sevres.png
- http://images.slideplayer.com/32/9872734/slides/slide_5.jpg
Credit: Amanda