Running head: TREATIES SIGNED TO END THE WAR

Treaties Signed To End the War Name Professor Course Date

TREATIES SIGNED TO END THE WAR

Introduction At the conclusion of World War1, various treaties sought to end the war completely. These treaties targeted the perceived losers of the war, and they had their basis on the ideas of punishing Germany and its allies for causing the war. The Treaty of Versailles ended the war between the allied powers and Germany. This treaty was signed as a peace treaty as the war concluded. Other treaties dealt with the central powers on Germans side of the war (Steiger, 2009). The armistice aimed at ending the actual fighting. However, it came into effect 6 months after a peace conference in Paris. The treaties had far-reaching effects on the participating countries in terms of influencing the involved nations society and culture. A leading effect of the signing of the treaties was the end of the war. The signing of the armistice dictated that all nations had to end the fighting. This treaty placed immense responsibility of the war to Germany. Germany, Hungary and Austria, assumed the responsibility for causing the war. The treaties required the states to disarm, pay reparations and make territorial concessions. The treaty of Saint Germain-En-Laye led to the establishment of a country known as Austria (Steiger, 2009). This nation consisted of populations of truncated German speaking areas of Hadsburg state. The Austrian empire gave up crown land to Czechoslovakia, Serbs, Poland and Croatia. Austria also ceded land to Italy, and Romania. The treaty dictated that Austria sustains its independence and desist from forming unification with Germany. In 1918, the Fourteen Points were established, and they dealt with political and territorial settlement tied to the victories of the allied powers in the war. The points introduced the ideas of national self-determination for the ethnic populations living in Europe. The other points focused

TREATIES SIGNED TO END THE WAR

on prevent of a reoccurrence of a war by proposing the formation of a league of nations for the purposes of arbitrating international disputes. The treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine required Bulgaria to make territorial reparations and pay 100 million pounds to the allies, in addition to reducing its military, forces. The Treaty of Trianon delimited Hungarian frontiers and forced territorial losses for the country (Steiger, 2009). The treaties had long-term effects on the affected nations culture and society. The German nation faced the highest wrath from the treaties. The German society was perceived as violent because Germany took the responsibility for causing the war. Further, part of its territory was transferred to other regions as territorial reparation. As a result, families were separated, and social life disrupted. Other countries in the central power were also required to have territorial reparation, which meant a disruption of social life. Germany was required to pay immense reparations to allied nations. The Versailles Reparations appeared in various forms including steel, intellectual property and coal (Steiger, 2009). Reparations as coal immensely punished Germany because the treaty dictated that Germany must pay for destroying the coalfields of France. Consequently, France received awards by gaining access to the Saar basin in Germany for years.

TREATIES SIGNED TO END THE WAR

Reference Steiger, H. (2009). 4 Peace Treaties from Paris to Versailles. Peace Treaties and International Law in European History. Cambridge University Press. Page 59-100.