The Austrian Versailles Legacy: New Nations Emerge

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, was a peace treaty that ended World War I. It was signed exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had sparked the war. The treaty was signed between Germany and the Allied Powers, and it stripped Germany of 65,000 km2 of territory and 7 million people. It also required Germany to give up its overseas colonies and imposed harsh penalties on the country, including reparations, demilitarization, and war crimes trials.

The Treaty of Versailles also impacted Austria, which had been a part of the Austrian Empire until the empire's dissolution in 1867. The treaty acknowledged and respected Austria's independence and prohibited Germany from using force to alter the German-Austrian frontier. However, there was sentiment in both Austria and Germany for the Anschluss, or union, of the two countries, which eventually occurred in 1938 when Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany.

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, France. The Hall of Mirrors is one of the most famous rooms in the Palace of Versailles, renowned for its Baroque style and grandiose design. It was built between 1678 and 1684 to replace a large terrace designed by Louis Le Vau. The Hall of Mirrors was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and decorated by Charles Le Brun. It is 73 metres long, 10.5 metres deep, and 12.3 metres high.

The Hall of Mirrors was intended to showcase the power of the absolutist monarch, Louis XIV. It was used for ceremonies on rare occasions, such as royal weddings or diplomatic receptions. Louis XIV was the first to use it for diplomatic purposes, welcoming foreign dignitaries in 1685, 1686, 1715, and 1742.

The Treaty of Versailles was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. It was signed by the Allied and associated powers and by Germany, officially ending the war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers. The treaty was drafted in the spring of 1919 and dominated by the "Big Four": David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom, Georges Clemenceau of France, Woodrow Wilson of the United States, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy. The treaty gave some German territories to neighbouring countries and placed others under international supervision. Germany was stripped of its overseas colonies, its military capabilities were restricted, and it was required to pay war reparations to the Allied countries. The treaty also created the League of Nations.

The Hall of Mirrors was chosen as the location for signing the Treaty of Versailles because of its historical significance. In 1871, the Second German Empire was established in the Hall of Mirrors after the German victory in the Franco-Prussian War. This event was considered humiliating for the French, and by signing the Treaty of Versailles in the same location, Clemenceau symbolically dismantled the German Empire in the very room where it had been proclaimed. The date of the signing was also chosen deliberately: June 28, 1919, marked five years since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the war.

The treaty gave some German territories to neighbouring countries

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on the 28th of June, 1919, was a peace treaty that ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. The treaty was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the war. The treaty required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, recognise the independence of states whose territory had previously been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations to the Entente powers.

The treaty placed other German territories under international supervision

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. The treaty placed several German territories under international supervision, in addition to giving some to neighbouring countries.

Memelland was placed under French supervision, and Saarland was placed under the administration of the League of Nations, but France was given control of its coal. A demilitarised zone was created between Germany and France.

In Central Europe, Germany was to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and cede parts of the province of Upper Silesia to them. Germany also had to recognise the independence of Poland, renounce "all rights and title" over Polish territory, and grant Poland portions of Upper Silesia, the Province of Posen, Pomerelia, and Soldau. The sovereignty of part of southern East Prussia was to be decided via plebiscite, and Memel was to be ceded to the Allied and Associated Powers.

The Treaty of Versailles also required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, recognise the independence of states whose territory had previously been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations to the Entente powers.

Germany was stripped of its overseas colonies

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919, officially ending World War I. The treaty was drafted during the Paris Peace Conference, which was dominated by the national leaders known as the "Big Four": David Lloyd George, the prime minister of the United Kingdom; Georges Clemenceau, the prime minister of France; Woodrow Wilson, the president of the United States; and Vittorio Orlando, the prime minister of Italy.

• Colonies in China, the Pacific, and Africa
• The Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands, and Palau in Micronesia
• German Samoa, which was assigned to New Zealand
• German New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Nauru, which went to Australia as mandates
• Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory in China
• Togoland and Kamerun, which were divided between the United Kingdom and France
• German South-West Africa, which was taken under mandate by the Union of South Africa
• German East Africa, which was divided between the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Portugal

The treaty created the League of Nations

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, brought about the creation of the League of Nations, an international organisation with the principal mission of maintaining world peace. The League was the first of its kind, and its creation was a direct result of the First World War and the desire to prevent such a conflict from ever occurring again.

The League's primary goals were laid out in its Covenant, which was signed on the same day as the Treaty of Versailles. The Covenant outlined the League's aims of preventing wars through collective security and disarmament, settling international disputes through negotiation and arbitration, and improving labour conditions, the treatment of native inhabitants, and the prevention of human and drug trafficking, among other concerns.

The League was made up of an Assembly, representing all member states; a Council, with membership limited to major powers; and a permanent Secretariat. The Assembly was to meet at least once a year, and the Council was to meet at least once a year and more often as required. The Council was initially made up of four permanent members – Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan – and four non-permanent members, which were elected by the Assembly for a three-year term. The first non-permanent members were Belgium, Brazil, Greece, and Spain.

The League's first council meeting took place on 16 January 1920, six days after the Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations came into force. The first meeting of the Assembly took place on 15 November 1920. The headquarters of the League were in Geneva, Switzerland.

The League of Nations lasted for 26 years and had some initial successes, but ultimately, it failed to prevent the Second World War and was replaced by the United Nations in 1946.

Frequently asked questions