The First World War Peace Settlements, 1919-1925

Seminar Studies in History

by Erik Goldstein

The First World War changed the face of Europe - two empires (the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire) collapsed in its wake and as a result many of the boundaries of Europe were redrawn and new states were created. The origins of many of the international crises in the late twentieth century can be traced back to decisions taken in these critical years, Yugoslavia being the most obvious example. An understanding of the peace settlements is thus crucial for any student studying international history/international relations, which is what this book offers.
This book provides and accessible and concise introduction to this most important period of history.

Genres: World War I

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2002

Reviews

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, detailed, analytical overview of the post-World War I period. The content is presented in such a way that teachers and high-achieving students will be able to confront some of the complexities of the post-war international relationships in an accessible way. I read here things that I had known about from reading other, less thorough, material but over and over I found myself having 'eureka' moments in understanding issues that I have long taught but, I now realise, not understood the full complexity and linkage of. Goldstein adds this complexity in a readable way and it is a useful adition to my course material - placed against other materials they now seem severely lacking. The short chapters and the inclusion of discussion of the input of lesser known statesmen of the early-1920s like Venizelos of Greece and Masaryk from Czechoslovakia alongside the "Big Three", Italy, and Japan gives the analysis a well-rounded nature. Such detail allows for better understanding of complex issues surrounding the treaties of Trianon, Neuilly, Saint-Germain, Neuilly, Sevres and Lausanne and these do not get 'overshadowed' (as is usually the case) by the Treaty Of Versailles. There is thorough coverage of the early work of the League of Nations and a positive argument for the merits of international cooperation. Further, Goldstein's argument that the USA was not isolationist in the 1920s but played and full and important part in post-war international relations is one I had not fully considered before - such analysis will go straight into my teaching of the Anglo-American Guarantee, Ruhr Crisis, Washington Conference, Dawes Plan, and Locarno Pact.

On a side note...reading this at the time of the election of Donald Trump to replace the internationally-minded Barack Obama, i was struck with the parallels between Obama and Wilson. Both taking on a reluctant Congress in the face of 'isolationist' sentiment when arguments for greater international cooperation to avert future violence seemed obvious. We must hope that, as mentioned earlier, the leadership of the USA that followed Wilsonian ideals, those of Harding and then Coolidge, mirror US involvement in world affairs and do not retreat into isolationism...

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's length intends it not to be an analysis on post-WWI peace settlements, but rather a historiography of the events that occurred, and the individual agendas of the "Big Four" - the U.S., Great Britain, France, and to an extent, Italy. The chapters are outlined with peace aims, actual settlements and German reparations, the "Spirit of Locarno," the state of the West after WWI, and a very brief conclusion on the success and failures of the peace settlements in accord with each major leader's agendas.

Essentially, this book has more breadth than depth, but it is good as an introductory book to outline the time between the end of WWI and the rise of Hitler. Good for essays on the high school level, but not much beyond.