INDEX

1. Peace
treaties
2.New map of
europe
3.social and
economic
consequences
4. League of
nations
---------------1.The peace
treaties:
In January 1919,in Paris,a conference of 32 countries decided the terms of peace
.
The USA, Britain,France and Italy decided the main decisions.
Us president, Thomas wilson, presented his manifesto ,known as WILSON'S 14 POINT
S. It was based on peace with Germany rather than revenge.
However, other countries,especially France, wanted compensation from Germany for
the destruction they suffered during the war.
The TREATY OF VERSAILLES declared that Germany was the sole country responsible
for the outbreak of the First World War.
Germany was forced to do 5 things:
a)pay compensation
b)Disarm
c)Dismantle its army
d)To give up territoires
e)To renounce its colonial empire.
For the Germans, this was total humiliation (DIKTAT) which only increased their
sense of nationalism and desire for revenge.
Other defeated countries also had to sign the peace treaty which stated the comp
ensation and conditions imposed.
----------------------2. New map of
Europe
a)The Turkish Empire was reduced to what we know as Turkey. Greece got some of t
he lands, while Iraq,Syria,Lebanon and Palestine were established in the Middle
East.
b)The Austro-Hungarian Empire disintergrated. Austria lost its possessions and b
ecame a republic. Hungary was established an an independent state and gave up pa
rt of its lands to a new country, CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
c) Serbia became the head of a new state, YOGOSLAVIA, which brought together Slo
venians, Croats and Bosnians.
d) In order to ISOLATE REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA, Greater Romania and Greater Poland
were created to act as a bufer zone.
e) The lands give up in the Brest-Litovsk Treaty also became new states: Finland
, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
-----------------------The social and
economic
consequences:
The war caused the deaths of around 10 million soldiers and it wounded many more
as well as being responsible for huge numbers of civilian casualties.
The widespread destruction of towns,cities,crops,infrastructures and industries
left nations really poor.
Government bonds were issued to ask other countries for loans.
These huge debts made economic recovery difficult and produced high rates of inf
lation.
The war benefited neutral countries like Spain, Argentina and Brazil. They suppl

ied raw materials to the warring countries.

The conflict consolidated the USA and led to a rise in their industrial producti
on and exports.
The USA was the main provider of the loans to the allied countries.
------------5. League of
Nations (LN)
President Wilson's idea.
OBJECTIVES
a) created to guarantee peace, security and promote cooperation throughout the w
orld with its headquaters in Geneva.
Consisted of 2 organisations: The assembly and the council.
IT FAILED BECAUSE
a) The USA wasn't part of the organisation
b)The USSR was initially excluded
c) Some countries, like Germany, decided to leave.