Imperialist Concerns

British Concerns

01/04/2011 04:18:00

Very much for their empire, they had the largest empire in the world at the time, o Had 80 million muslims under their rule as well Concerned for the security of their borders as well as the threat from Soviet Russia as well as the potential for the threat from the Ottoman empire. o Lord Curzon spoke of this in May 1919, arguing that the body (of the Turkish Empire) may not want to be a corpse o Also spoke out about the need for a protective cordon around the Soviet Union More concerned about this than self-determination of the Balkans

Whilst Lloyd George claimed I am a believer in little nations he was being more pragmatic than nationalist. An enlarged Greek state with British alliance could play a holding role in the East BUT did seek to address the minority issues in treaties following the Paris Peace Treaties o Does show that there were some concerns for items beyond imperialism Overtly, Britain agreed with Wilsons 14 points o They needed Wilson on-side in terms of his entry to the war and now with him personally heading up the American delegation, both British and French supported him whilst giving priority to their own national interests i.e. Britain signed off on all the points except the freedom of the seas Wasnt too keen on the destruction of the Habsburg empire given the monarchical links both in blood and in terms of a similar monarchical system of government o The replacments for both the Habsburg and Ottoman empires were therefore more of a punishment to the old empires and to advance british and French economic interests o The following treaties, in the guise of self-determination, crushed the economic powers of the Central Powers by redrawing their borders and by forcing reparations on them.

We can see this in the large ethnic mixing that occurred i.e. Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia Policy of punishment and reward contradicted the Wilsonian points on which the treaties were meant to be built upon Serbia, Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia were winners Bulgaria, Ottomans, Albania were losers No Plebiscites were allowed to contest the mixup of ethnic groups in these areas.

French Wanted to weaken the German military and exact revenge on them for the French losses in WWI o Came in the form of reparations and harsh military penalties such as no military occupation of the Rhineland and troop (100,000) and navy limitations (15,000)

Wilson Inexperienced and nave Hupchick, was often circumvented by the more experienced Lloyd George and Clemencau His inexperience lay more in just diplomatic circles, he didnt understand the complexities of the Balkan states. o Didnt know what Transylvania was or what Romanian claims to it were o Point 9 concerns Italian borders along lines of nationality but he didnt specific anywhere on the Dalmation coast except Triesta, but these had already been promised to Italy in the Treaty of London in 1915 o Point 10 argues for free development of successor states from the Habsburgs, but the same point argues for the positon of the Habsburg empire in Europe o Point 11 argues that Habsburg troops leave areas such as Montenegro and the establishment of state lines

There were no state lines after 500 years of Millet

rule o Point 12 wanted the breakup of ottoman empire but didnt suggest any way of doing this America was also not a world power at this point, he did not hav the bargaining power that he wanted He lost power in America during this time, had to return and ultimately the League of Nations was not ratified in the Senate.

Nationalist Concerns
Wilson

01/04/2011 04:18:00

The 14 points aimed towards a period of self-determination for the Balkan nations Wilson did listen to the concerns of the Balkan states he just didnt understand them fully. o Must not consider this an active dismissal of the nationalist ideals though. o when I gave utterances to those words, I said them without knowledge that nationalities existed. Moynihan Proclaimed against secret treaties promising territories such as the Treaty of London with Italy in 1915, which Wilson had overturned o Highlights an active attempt to remove the secrecy of the Imperialist powers from diplomacy

Also wanted an American led League of Nations, this would have very little interest in the imperial and strategic powers of Europe, as Wilson had very little love for the old Colonial powers of France and England

The fact that the new nations were guaranteed by the League of Nations highlights a certain level of commitment Also the Balkan states did receive a large amount of land from the Centrla Powers, with Romania receiving 32% of Hungary in the settlements Harold Nicolson We came to Paris convinced that a new order was about to be established, we left convinced that the new order had merely fouled the old Arguably, Take Ionescu was probably the most proactive leader in trying to form a Balkan alliance all the way to Poland in order to make sure that the treaty of Versailles was revised, but disputes between Poland and Czechoslovakia stopped this from occurring.

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