The Paris Peace Treaties

1636 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social effects of world war 1 on europe

The Paris Peace Treaties

The Paris Peace Treaties (1919-1920)

IB History

To the subject and passive onlooker, those meticulous organizers of the Paris Peace Treaties allowed for an unfortunate amount of flaws to enter their task of creating a treaty that could satisfy all of the nations of not only Europe but of the world as well equally. Yet one must attempt to put that passiveness behind and admit that those of the time of post World War I had truly no idea what was to come of their decisions. Thus, the decisions of these toilers of the Paris Peace Treaties undoubtedly made a medley of wrong judgments that were virtually unforeseen at the time. The first of these mistakes was that they looked over the problems that the innumerable ethnic groups of Europe would cause. Second to be overlooked was France, still highly intimidated and insecure of a Germany that it wanted to see completely annihilated and rendered powerless.

Lastly, was the Central powers, angry and cheated over their extremely harsh punishments. Thus the founders of the Paris Peace Treaties, despite doing their best to form a way to peace and betterment for Europe, managed to make a great deal of unanticipated oversights in their quest for harmony.

The continent of Europe was composed of legions of different ethnic groups that at the end of World War I caused many problems for the treaty drawers of Paris. Even Wilson himself confessed that there were far many more ethnic groups in Europe than he at first realized- most of them seeking their own personal independence. Eastern Europe and the Balkans because many historical occurrences (such as invasions and migrations) were made up of “a bewildering kaleidoscope of races and religions.” There were still hordes of nationalistic minorities in countries with a majorities of ethnic groups not of their own. To make things even more difficult for the writers of the Paris Peace Treaties was that these races did not live in their own separate areas of the countries of Europe.

They lived mixed among themselves, dispersed throughout the regions with the race of the majority. In addition to the problems left to those who drew up the peace treaties (in accordance to the “ethnic problems”) were that there were still populations of a race of people within various nations that belonged ethnically to another nation. For example, within Hungary ...

... middle of paper ...

...ed to create an agreement for the best of the world.

Conclusively, the writers and founders of the Paris Peace Treaties, despite their efforts to bring a lasting peace to the world, made a variance of unforeseen mistakes in their toil. For the uncountable amounts of varying ethnic groups could not be easily separated without annoying at least someone- and since the Central powers were the losers, logic suggested that it would be them. Secondly, France’s increasing insecurity towards Germany that dated back decades caused for it to demand Germany to be paralyzed forever. This as well as other forms of Allied punishments caused for increased Central power animosity towards the Allied powers. Therefore, the intent of peace treaties was well intentioned initially, and the criticism of them was undeserved in that there was nothing that anyone could do else without the impossible of power seeing into the future

Bibliography

1. (Handout) Lentin, Antony. “The Consequences of the Versailles Settlement.”

2. (Handout) Sharpe, Alan. “Part I: The Post War Settlement.

3. Wolfson, Robert. Years of Change: European History 1890-1945. London: Hodder

and Stoughton, 1978, pp.183-192.

Show More
Related

  • Thomas Jefferson

    2282 Words  | 5 Pages

    Jefferson’s last writings was for his grave stone, which said “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson. Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, And Father of the University of Virginia. Born Apr. 1, 1743 O.S. Died July 4, 1826.”(Donovan, 296) This were Jefferson’s greatest achievements in his eyes, he saw his fight for natural rights in his life to be the most important thing in his life. His fight for natural rights made him one of America’s greatest hero’s.

    Read More

  • Treaty Of Versailles Perception Vs Reality

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anthony J D’Angelo once said, “Reality doesn’t bite, rather our perception of reality bites.” D’Angelo is saying that it isn’t the truth that affects us, it is the way we look at, perceive, and take in truth that changes how what we think about it. When the Treaty of Versailles was signed and presented there was multiple reactions from the German people, the way they perceived the Treaty is what led to their reactions. While both perception and reality played an important role in the making of the Treaty of Versailles and the reaction to it, it was the perception of reality and how this changed how people thought that played a far more important role in the fail of the treaty.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Origins of Second World War by A.J.P. Taylor

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, when confronted with a strict policy of appeasement, by both the French and the English, the stage was set for a second World War. Taylor constructs a powerful and effective argument by expelling certain dogmas that painted Hitler as a madman, and by evaluating historical events as a body of actions and reactions, disagreeing with the common idea that the Axis had a specific program from the start. The book begins with the conclusion of the First World War, by exploring the idea that critical mistakes made then made a second war likely, yet not inevitable. Taylor points out that although Germany was defeated on the Western front, “Russia fell out of Europe and ceased to exist, for the time being, as a Great Power. The constellation of Europe was profoundly changed—and to Germany’s advantage.”

    Read More

  • Treaty Of Versailles Essay

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 the “Big Four” meet to settle terms of peace. Britain and France wanted to punish Germany, Italy wanted money or land, and the United States wanted to heal wounds through Wilson’s League of Nations. There was a discussion about whether the United Sates wanted to accept the Treaty Versailles or not. President Wilson wanted the League of Nations to “end all wars”. It was not the influence of the opposing forces of the U.S., conservative or liberal, that led to the absolute defeat of the Treaty of Versailles, but rather the political unawareness, incapability, and stubbornness of President Woodrow Wilson.

    Read More

  • The Treaty Of Versailles: The Written Agreement Of Versailles

    2785 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...eaknesses to win their loyalty. Finally, the written agreement of Versailles was purported to represent the peaceful ending to warfare I, however, it became the prelude to a different war. it had been originally an attempt to revive order and supply a peaceful conclusion to warfare I. The sick feelings and economic upheaval that resulted provided the proper climate for Hitler's dominance, in post-war FRG. The contributor’s participants of Versailles had alternative motives behind the peace agreement apart from a peace settlement. Their stingy actions resulted in not solely the economic hardship of FRG, however inflation and state altogether of Europe. The severity of the reparations contained during this document set the stage for history to repeat itself. Therefore the terribly method within which the written agreement of Versailles was forced on the German people.

    Read More

  • Thomas Jefferson: More than a President

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter and Jane Jefferson who lived near the Blue Ridge Mountains in colonial America. He was the eldest of two sons and six daughters. His father was a surveyor with little formal education and owned property including 60 slaves. Jane, his mother, was from a very distinguished family. His father died when Jefferson was fourteen, and he left to learn Latin and Greek with a nearby teacher. In 1760, he started school at the College of William and Mary where he kept a rigorous academic schedule including: fifteen hours of studying primarily law, three hours of practicing violin, and six hours of sleeping and eating (“Jefferson” 323). Through this education, “He was laying a foundation for his future career as an...

    Read More

  • The History of Hurricane Katrina

    1811 Words  | 4 Pages

    On August 29, 2005, the third strongest and biggest hurricane ever recorded in American history hit the Gulf Coast at eight o’clock a.m. The interaction between a tropical depression and a tropical wave created a tropical storm later referred to as Hurricane Katrina (FAQS, 2013). Forming over the Bahamas, Hurricane Katrina gradually strengthened as it moved closer and closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Recorded on August 28th, 2005, Katrina jumped from a category three storm to a category five storm with maximum sustained winds up to 160 miles per hour. Although other hurricanes, such as Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Wilma, exceeded Katrina, this dominant storm was classified as the fourth most intense hurricane based its pressure capacity. Once Hurricane Katrina hit land, it was pronounced as a category four storm moving slowly. While people thought that the slow speed of this storm prevented trauma, records show that Katrina did more damage than any fast-moving storm could have ever achieved (Solanki, 2013). Katrina produced abundant debris. The debris was in such large quantity that if it was stacked together on a football field, the rubble would reach the elevation of ten and a half miles. The size of Katrina also caused 90,000 square miles to be affected. Once proclaimed a category three storm, Hurricane Katrina slowed to the speed of 155 miles per hour. At this point in time, Katrina proved to be the sixth most prevailing hurricane traced in history. (Solanki, 2013). Several different aspects of life were impacted by Hurricane Katrina such as availability of gasoline, economic issues, and the ability to have an adequate supply of drinking water (Solanki, 2013). Hurricane Katrina was a large storm ...

    Read More

  • Coercion Essay

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first step in identifying whether or not the peace settlement after World War I (WWI), would be the effectiveness of communication to the Germans. In order to properly communicate, one must simply tell the people involved what the conditions are and the consequences for not following them. In addition, the demands must be moderate and the opponent needs to be made clear that it will not favor them in the long run if they do not comply to the terms. While Germany was effectively given the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, one could argue that it was done in an unfair manner. Germany was not even present at the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles and the Germans expected something along the lines of Wilson’s 14 point plan. At the end of the discussions,

    Read More

  • How Did The Treaty Of Vienna Compared To The Congress Of Versailles

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    Napoleon’s conquest had greatly altered the borders of France and its neighboring states. Similarly Germany had been taking land from others during WWI and causing destruction all around. All of the European powers had seen a need for peace during these two events and thus two similar treaties were produced. The borders of countries were rearranged in both compromises in order to move into the future. An even more important similarity between the two treaties was the reactionary movement that they both attempted to make. The Congress of Vienna attempted to restore the land that France had taken over and surround it by powerful countries to prevent future expansion. The Treaty also restored the land that Germany had conquered and again surrounded it with strong countries and buffer states to prevent future expansion. Both of these treaties had a reactionary aspect to them as they attempted to return lands to what they were

    Read More

  • Who Is The Conch In Lord Of The Flies

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the classic book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Golding includes a lot of symbolism throughout the book to show human nature and the weaknesses throughout the book. One symbol that Golding uses in Lord of the Flies is the conch which represents authority and order. Another symbol that stuck out to me is the island that the boys are stuck on from a plane crash. The island represents paradise with its untouched beauty and the food, as it also is a symbol of isolation. My last and final symbol is the signal fire that the boys made, the signal fire represents the hope of being rescued from the island.

    Read More

  • Treaty Of Versailles Book Report

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles, as the most substantial document in the twentieth century, was supposed to end future wars and to bring in new world order, as the treaty tried to change the unequal treatments regarding gender, class and race in the prewar period (p.66-67). However, it instead planted seeds for subsequent escalated conflicts and hostilities and kept the world enmeshed in the imperialism-centered system. Many reasons caused the ineffectiveness of the treaty. In The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History, Michael Neiberg provides detailed narratives from the aspects of complex world of 1919, the players, their respective considerations and the political environment to account for the dysfunction of the treaty.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in Lord Of The Flies

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine a group of young boys who have just crash-landed on a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. William Golding showed in his ground breaking novel Lord of the Flies, what may happen in just those circumstances. In his very complicated and diverse novel Golding brings out many ideas and uses many literary devices. Above all others though comes symbolism of three main important objects being the conch, fire, and "Piggy's" eyeglasses. Through each of these three symbols Golding shows how the boys adapt and change throughout the novel. These symbols also help to show each of the boy's ideals on a variety of elements from human nature to society and its controls. All three of these symbols also change and are one of the most important elements of the story.

    Read More

  • Paris Peace Conference

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    It has been almost a century since the first Paris Peace Conference was hold, but even until now, it is a popular yet also controversial event in the history of the world. The Paris Peace Conference took place in 1919 involving more than 1,000 representatives from over 30 nations. The results of the Conference are five treaties regarding terms that, according to the Conference, shall prevent any upcoming conflicts among nations. Although World War II started only after 15 years, nonetheless, the treaties did function as a buffer between countries. Although many resolutions were discussed, the negotiation of the Conference revolves around four main topics, reparation from the previous war losses or limitations on the main Central Power, Germany, self-recognition, President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the annexation of land.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Symbolism Analysis

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Golding is essentially the king of symbolism and covert delineation. The Lord of the Flies is a novel based around a large handful of English schoolboys becoming stranded on an island that will later become a sadistic dystopia. The boys are left unsupervised with only their ill experienced wits to survive and rule. A power struggle breaks out between two of the main characters, Jack and Ralph, Jack being the antagonist and Ralph being the protagonist of the story. In modern pop culture, Jack and Ralph would compare to an event like North Korea versus South Korea. Lord of the Flies is home to many forms of symbolism, including the importance of Piggy 's glasses, the fire on the island, the sow 's head, the beast and the conch shell; all of these items play a huge role in shaping the story, tone and the mood.

    Read More

  • Peace is More than the Absence of War

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    How do the terms or implementation of treaties determine peace or conflict decades later? Efforts to build a just and lasting peace are complicated not only because past grievances must be addressed, but future interests must be anticipated-even when such future interests were not identified as the cause of war in the first place. Edward Teller, discussing the Manhattan Project, observed, "No endeavor which is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect."2 Only if a nation perceives that continuing observance of the treaty will sustain the state over a long period of time and in changing circumstances, the peace and security promised by the treaty will endure. Machiavelli observed that ". . . fear of loss of the State by a prince or republic will overcome both gratitude and treaties."3

    Read More

More about The Paris Peace Treaties

Open Document