THE SETTLEMENT:

THE TREATY OF ST.GERMAIN CONCERNING AUSTRIA:  September 1919

OPPOSITION TO THE VERSAILLES SETTLEMENT:  ITALY AND CHINA

Acknowledgements

Map of Austria:  hoyenhistoria.blogspot.com

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     The Treaty of St.Germain-en-Laye, dealing with Austria, was signed on the 10th September 1919. With the Austria-Hungarian Empire no longer in existence, the state of Austria (having declared itself a democratic republic in November 1918), was drastically cut down in size. It was obliged to give a number of areas over to Italy (including Trentino, Trieste and parts of South Tyrol and Istria), and also parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Romania. Furthermore, it was obliged to recognise and lose more land to the newly formed states of Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia. In all of this, little if any heed was taken of the principle of self-determination. Many ethnic Germans, for example, found themselves under Czech or Polish rule. (This, indeed, was to provide the official cause for the outbreak of the Second World War!). By way of disarmament, the army was limited to 30,000, and the maintenance of a navy and air force was prohibited, but reparations were, of necessity, small and virtually never paid. Having had its population cut down from 22 million to around six, and its territory so drastically reduced, the country was too weak economically to cope with such payments. The Austrians did receive Burgenland from Hungary (delayed until December 1921), but their request to be called German Austria was denied, and they were not allowed to compromise their independence. As in the other former members of the Central Powers, there was much anger in Austria over the severity of these terms, especially concerning the enormous loss in territory. At the start of the war Austria-Hungary covered over 260,000 square miles. With the signing of the St.Germain treaty, the new state of Austria was a land-locked nation with an area of just 32,400 square miles.

OPPOSITION TO THE VERSAILLES SETTLEMENT

 The negotiations at St.Germain brought to the fore Italy’s extreme disatisfaction with the Versailles Treaty. The Italian delegation, led by Vittorio Orlando, complained bitterly that they had not received the territory promised to them by the London Treaty of April 1915, a condition of their entering the war in support of the Allies. For a time, in fact, by way of protest, the Italian government withdrew from the negotiations and, on their completion, it refused to sign the Versailles Treaty. The Italians did gain Trentino, Trieste and parts of South Tirol and Istria, but Dalmatia, a coveted area along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea, was denied them. This created much anger and bitterness within Italy against the United States, British and French governments, accused of downgrading the part played by Italy during the war. There was a feeling amongst the Allies that the Italian forces had made insufficient progress in their war with Austria-Hungary; that they had failed to honour naval promises; and that they often lacked the required military resources. Indeed, on the 23rd April, Woodrow Wilson openly declared that the Treaty of London should be put aside, and that Italy should be satisfied with its territorial gains. This caused outrage throughout Italy, and doubtless assisted the fascist leader Benito Mussolini in his quest for power, and his eventual support for Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

     Incidentally, in September 1919 the successful Italian novelist and poet, Gabriele d’Annunzio, turned military commander and led a rogue army to seize the Adriatic city of Fiume. It was seen by the Italians as the first act of revolt against the Versailles Treaty. The military occupation came to an end with the Treaty of Rapallo in November 1920 – when Fiume became part of an independent state – but four years later, by the Treaty of Rome (held between Italy and Yugoslavia), the city was returned to the Italians. Annunzio became and remains a national hero!

    …… And another nation that opposed the Versailles settlement and refused to sign it, was China. As noted earlier, having declared war on Germany in August 1917, China had played a useful part in support of the Allies, limited though it was. The French employed some 37,000 workers, and the United Kingdom close to 95,000. They had provided a vital labour force in the assembly of munitions, the repair of vehicles and tanks, and the everyday need of restoring or improving frontline trenches along the Western Front. In return for this contribution, they looked for the return to China of Shandong Province. Situated along the eastern shore of the Yellow Sea, this was the birthplace of Confucius, the very cradle of Chinese civilisation. But the Treaty awarded the province to Japan, which at least played a part in turning China towards socialism. The Chinese Communist Party was formed in 1925.

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FOR THE TREATY OF TRIANON CONCERNING HUNGARY (JUNE 1920)