Paris Peace Conference, 1919
For the John Cale album, see Paris 1919 (album)The
Paris Peace Conference of 1919 was a conference organized by the victors of
World War I to negotiate the peace treaties between the
Allied and Associated Powers and the defeated
Central Powers. The conference opened on
January 18,
1919 and lasted until
January 21,
1920 with a few intervals.
The following treaties were prepared at the Paris Peace Conference:
*
Germany (
Treaty of Versailles, 1919,
June 28,
1919),
*
Austria (
Treaty of Saint-Germain,
September 10,
1919),
*
Bulgaria (
Treaty of Neuilly,
November 27,
1919),
*
Hungary (
Treaty of Trianon,
June 4,
1920), and the
*
Ottoman Empire (
Treaty of Sèvres,
10 August,
1920; subsequently revised by the
Treaty of Lausanne,
July 24,
1923).Also considered was the "holy grail" of
Palestine, the
Faisal-Weizmann Agreement (
January 3,
1919).
The Paris peace treaties, together with the accords of the
Washington Naval Conference of 1911-1922, laid the foundations for the so-called
Versailles-Washington system of international relations. The remaking of the world map at these conferences gave birth to a number of critical conflict-prone international contradictions, which would become one of the causes of
World War II.
The decision to create the
League of Nations and the approval of its
Charter both took place during the conference.
The 'Big Four' â€"
Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France;
David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom;
Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America; and
Vittorio Orlando, Prime Minister of Italy â€" were the dominant diplomatic figures at the conference. The conclusions of their talks were imposed on the defeated countries.
The countries that did take part were:
*
France*
United Kingdom*
United States *
Italy*
Japan*
Belgium*
Brazil*
Dominions of the British Empire (
Canada,
Australia,
Union of South Africa,
New Zealand,
Newfoundland)
*
Greece*
Guatemala*
Haiti*
Hejaz*
Honduras*
China*
Cuba*
Yugoslavia*
Liberia*
Nicaragua*
Panama*
Poland*
Portugal*
Romania*
Siam*
CzechoslovakiaGermany and its former allies were not allowed to attend the conference until after the details of all the peace treaties had been elaborated and agreed upon. The
Russian SFSR was not invited to attend.
Ireland sent representatives in the hope of achieving self-determination and legitimizing the Republic declared after the
Easter Rising in 1916 but had little success.
The Australian delegates were
Billy Hughes, (
Prime Minister), and
Joseph Cook (Minister of the Navy), accompanied by
Robert Garran (
Solicitor-General). Their principal aims were
reparations, annexation of
German New Guinea and rejection of the Japanese
racial equality proposal. Hughes had a profound interest in what he saw as an extension of the
racist White Australia Policy. Despite causing a big scene, Hughes had to acquiesce to a class C
mandate for
New Guinea.
The Japanese delegation was headed by
Saionji Kimmochi, with Baron
Makino Nobuaki, Viscount
Chinda Sutemi (ambassador in
London),
Matsui Keishiro Ambassador in Paris) and
Ijuin Hikokichi (ambassador in
Rome and others making a total of 64. Neither
Hara Takashi (Prime Minister) nor
Yasuya Uchida (Foreign Minister) felt able to leave Japan so shortly after their election. The delegation focussed on two demands: a) the inclusion of their
racial equality proposal and b) territorial claims for the former German
colonies;
Shandong and the
Pacific islands north of the
Equator i.e. the
Marshall Islands,
Micronesia, the
Mariana Islands, and the
Carolines. Makino was
de facto chief as Saionji's role was symbolic, limited by ill-health.The Japanese were unhappy with the conference because they got only one half of the rights of Germany, and walked out of the conference.
The racial equality proposal
After the end of seclusion, Japan suffered
unequal treaties and obtaining equal status with the Powers was Japan's dream. In this context, the Japanese delegation to the Paris peace conference proposed the race equality proposal. The first draft was presented to the League of Nations Commission on
February 13 as an amendment to Article 21:
The equality of nations being a basic principle of the League of Nations, the High Contracting Parties agree to accord as soon as possible to all alien nationals of states, members of the League, equal and just treatment in every respect making no distinction, either in law or in fact, on account of their race or nationality.Although the proposal received a majority (11 out of 16) in the voting, the chairman, U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson, overturned it saying that important issues should be unanimously approved. It is said that behind the issue Billy Hughes and Joseph Cook vigorously opposed it as it undermined the White Australia Policy. Later, as conflicts between Japan and America widened, the Japanese media reported the case widely leading to a grudge toward the U.S. in Japanese public opinion and becoming one of the main causes of
Pearl Harbor and
World War II.
Territorial claims
The Japanese claim to Shandong was disputed by the Chinese. In
1914 at the outset of
First World War Japan had seized the territory granted to
Germany in
1897. They also seized the
German islands in the Pacific north of the equator. In
1917 Japan had made secret agreements with
Britain,
France and
Italy as regards their annexation of these territories. With Britain, there was a mutual agreement, Japan also agreeing to support British annexation of the Pacific islands south of the equator. Despite a generally pro-Chinese view on behalf of the American delegation Article 156 of the
Treaty of Versailles transferred German concessions in
Shandong,
China to
Japan rather than returning sovereign authority to China. Chinese outrage over this provision led to demonstrations and the cultural movement known as the
May Fourth Movement and China's eventual withdrawal from the Treaty. The Pacific islands north of the equator became a class C mandate administered by Japan.
After
Woodrow Wilson failed to convince
Lloyd George and
Georges Clemenceau to support his
Fourteen Points, the conference settled on discussing the possibility of a
League of Nations. After most points were agreed on, the written document detailing the League was brought back to the
U.S. to be approved by
Congress.
Congress objected only to Article 10, which stated that an attack on any member of the League would be considered an attack on all members, who would be expected to support, if not join in on the attacked country's side. Wilson, disheartened, returned to
Paris in March after all the diplomats had reviewed the League outline with their respective governments. Without the approval of Congress, Clemenceau noted Wilson's weak position and furthered the interests of Britain and France, opposed by Wilson. Germany was forced to accept full blame, which the new governmant disliked, and so resigned. Germany was being asked to accept all responsibility, lose all colonies and some home land, and to pay the
Allies of World War I 33 billion dollars. Wilson would not sign these treaties, and so the United States signed separate treaties with Germany, approved by Congress.
* German
New Guinea was given as and mandate to Australia and German
Samoa was given as a mandate to New Zealand.
*
Czech Corridor*MacMillan, Margaret (2001),
Peacemakers: Six months that changed the world, John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.. ISBN 0-7195-6237-6
*Naoko Shimazu (1998),
Japan, Race and Equality, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-17207-1
*
Charles T. Evans NVCC|Info*
Excerpt and reviews of Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed The World by Margaret MacMillan ISBN 0375760520 (softcover), ISBN 0375508260 (hardcover)
