USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > Atlas and plat book of Lenawee County Michigan and history of the World War > Part 20
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The territory west of the Rhine which the Germans evacuated is roughly 20,000 square miles in extent, with a population of about 9,000,000. It includes some of the most important mining and manufacturing districts of Germany, and such great centers as Cologne, Strassburg, Metz, and Essen, home of the Krupp works. The territory consists of Alsace-Lorraine, the Palatinate, the Rhine prov- ince, Birkenfeld, and about one-third of Hesse.
THE KAISER ABDICATES-By the time the armistice was signed, on the morning of November 11, 1918, the Kaiser and the Crown Prince of Germany had abdicated. Both fled to Holland, where they were interned as military refugees. Later, the Allies united in demanding that Holland surrender the Kaiser to them to stand trial for his many crimes in connection with the war. A British high court has already returned an indictment against him for murder.
The peace conference, which will definitely close the war-although the armistice had the effect of stopping all hostilities-will be held at Paris as early as possible in 1919. In the meantime Allied troops occupy the west bank of the Rhine, as agreed upon by the armistice. On December 4 President Wilson sailed from New York to attend the preliminary peace conference of the Allies in Paris.
THE GREATEST OF ALL WARS-This, the most frightful of wars was fought out at a cost of approximately $200,000,000,000 and 10,000,000 lives.
In the following table is shown the men in arms, the lives lost, and the total casualties of the leading nations involved in the war. The totals of the United States, Great Britain, Italy and Germany are official. The others are from unofficial returns.
Men in Arms Lives Lost Total Casualties
United States
3,764,700
48,900
286,000
Great Britain
7,500,000
900,000
3,049,991
France
6,000,000
1,385,300
4,000,000
Italy
5,000,000
330,000
1,620,000
Russia
12,000,000
1,700,000
3,800,000
Belgium
350,000
102,000
300,000
Servia
300,000
125,000
200,000
Roumania
600,000
100,000
300,000
Germany
10,000,000
1,600,000
4,000,000
Austria-Hungary
7,500,000
800,000
3,120,000
Turkey
1,500,000
250,000
750,000
Bulgaria
1,000,000
100,000
300,000
Totals
55,514,000
7,441,200
21,725,991
At such a frightful cost was the world made safe for democracy. It was a struggle between autocracy and democracy, and the latter was victorious. It was the greatest war in the history of the world, no matter from what angle it was viewed.
On the following pages will be found a complete chronology of the war
CHAPTER VIII.
THE PEACE CONFERENCE AND ITS WORK-Since the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, the attention of the world has been chiefly centered upon the work of the Peace Conference at Paris.
President Wilson sailed for France December 4th and by conferences with the Inter-allied Supreme War Council and meetings with the prime Ministers and foreign Ministers of France, England, Italy and Japan, the preliminary plans for the organization of the Peace Conference were made. On January 18th the Conference was formally opened at Paris by President Poincare. Premier Clemenceau of France was made permanent chairman. It was the most extraordinary assembly known to history and confronted by the most difficult problems.
THE PLAN OF REPRESENTATION FOR THE CONFERENCE first de- cided on was as follows: Five delegates each from France, England, United States, Italy and Japan; two each from Australia, Canada, South Africa and India; one from New Zealand; three from Brazil; two each from Belgium, China, Greece, Portugal, Poland, the Czecho-Slovak Republic, Rumania and Serbia; one each from Cuba, Siam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hon- duras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, Panama and Montenegro. This plan was somewhat changed later, admitting three delegates from Belgium, Serbia and India, and two from the Kingdom of the Hejaz in Arabia.
The list of delegates were as follows:
Pres. Woodrow Wilson .... United States
Andrew Bonar Law. Great Britain
Robert Lansing .. United States
George Nicoll Barnes. Great Britain
Hon. Henry White. United States
Roman Dmawsky
.Poland
Edward M. House. United States
M. Van Den Heuvel. Belgium
Emile Vandervelde. Belgium
Paul Hymans
Belgium
Premier Robt. Borden Canada
Ante Trumbitch.
Serbia
M. Zolger
Serbia
Nikola Pashitch
Serbia
Dr. M. Vesnitch
Serbia
Baron Makino. Japan
Nicolas Politis.
Greece
M. K. Matsui. Japan
Eleutherios Venizelos
Greece
Viscount Chinda .Japan
Charles Kramar.
Czechoslovakia
Dr. Edward Benes Czechoslovakia
Penha Garcia Portugal
Dr. Egaz Moniz
Portugal
Jean Bratiano
Nicholas Misu
Rumania
Chengting Thomas Wing. China
Vikyuin Wellington Koo. China
Sao Ke Alfred Sze.
China
Lu Chieng Tsang.
China
Suntchou Wei. China
S. A. L'Emir Feisal
Arabia
Premier Clemenceau France
Jules Cambon. France
Louis Lucien Klotz. France
Andre Tardieu France
Stephen Pichon France
Premier Orlando. Italy
Baron Sonnino Italy
Salvatore Barzilai Italy
Salvago Raggi. Italy
Antonio Salandra
Italy
Premier David Lloyd George.
Great Britain
Juan Carlos Blanco. Uruguay
C. B. D. King. Liberia
Arthur James Balfour .... Great Britain Lord Robert Cecil Great Britain Certullian Guilbaud Haiti
Prince Charoon Siam
Phya Bieadh Kosha. Siam
Rafael Martinez Cuba
Antonio Sanchez Bustamante Cuba
.India
Sir S. P. Sinha.
Edwin Samuel Montagu
India
Maharajah of Bikaner India
Rumania
Antonio Burgos
Panama
Epitacio Pessoa
Brazil
Olyntho De Magalhaes.
Brazil
Rustem Haidar Arabia
Don Y. De Alsua
Ecuador
General Jan. C. Smuts South Africa
General Louis Botha. South Africa
Premier Wm. F. Massey New Zealand
Sir Wm. F. Lloyd. Newfoundland
Premier Wm. M. Hughes Australia
Sir Joseph Cook Australia
W. H. Ijuin Japan
General Tasker Bliss. United States
Sir George Foster Canada
Ismael Montes Bolivia
Francisco Garcia Calderon Peru
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR
Page Thirteen
On January 19th it was decided that only delegates from the five principal powers were to be active in all sessions. The smaller allied states were to be represented only when questions in which they were essentially concerned were discussed, the neutrals only when invited for particular reasons.
ADVISORIAL GROUPS-In addition to the delegates there were in Paris large groups of advisors-experts in finance, trade, commerce and officers of the army and navy-men of varied and expert knowledge-through its com- mittee system the Conference gave every question the benefit of all the knowl- edge available.
Some dissatisfaction appeared among the smaller states in the beginning, because of their small representation, this, however, put them to no serious disadvantage, as the decisions were not to be made by majority vote, but by the assent of the countries concerned.
The question of publicity provoked a storm of comment. Generally speak- ing, Great Britain and the United States favored publicity, while France, Italy and Japan desired secrecy. The result was a large amount of publicity. , News- paper men were present at most of the sessions and frequent official bulletins were issued.
Perhaps the foremost figure at the Conference was President Wilson. To many of his countrymen his departure seemed a doubtful experiment, but the character of his reception abroad has gradually been changing this opinion. The people of Europe welcomed him not only as the representative of the United States, but as a symbol of the promise of peace. "His arrival popular- ized the work of the conference and helped make it an affair of democracies rather than of prime ministers or ruling classes."
THE TASK which the Conference had before it was a gigantic one. No Conference was ever confronted by problems of such variety and perplexity. Besides the Americas and Europe, almost every country of Asia and Africa, and even the islands in the southern seas were affected. Questions regarding armament, commerce, trade, labor, international highways and waterways had to be decided. Questions dealing with indemnities, boundaries, the formation of new states, Germany and Russia had to be settled.
THE THREE BIG PROBLEMS at the outset had to deal first with peace with Germany and Austria, second with the redrawing of the Maps of Europe, Asia and Africa, and third, with the forming of some kind of an association of Nations which would dominate international relations and make another world war impossible.
The problem of Germany was complicated by the instability of its govern- ment following the Armistice. It was of the utmost importance to the Con- ference that there be formed a stable government with which to make peace, which would be able to comply with the peace terms and control the nation it represented.
During the first weeks of November, following the Armistice, Germany was torn by a revolution which threatened a repetition of events in Russia. When the Conference assembled in January she seemed a crushed and miserable ob- ject. Two months later the elements of disorder were largely crushed and the revolution over. On January 19th a general election provided for a National Assembly which met at Weimar February 6th and apparently was in control of the state. On February 11th, Ebert, leader of the Majority Socialists, was elected President of Germany, a constitution was adopted, a cabinet selected, and a renewal of the armistice signed. Germany now began to reassert herself, to renew her claims to Alsace-Lorraine, to mobilize an army and to try to de- stroy the hope of Polish liberation.
IN REMAKING THE MAP settlements of old disputes had to be made, and new nations formed.
To the first group of questions belonged the question of Alsace-Lorraine, the Italian frontier, the Danes of Schleswig, the Germans in Austria, the fron- tiers of the Jugo-Slavs and the Latins.
The problem of forming the new states was almost beyond measurement. It demanded that a new Poland be created, that Czechoslovakia and a Jugo- Slavia nation be made out of the Austro-Hungarian territory, that a new Latin state, including Rumania and parts of Russia, Austria and Hungary be made, that the question of Albania be settled, that the Greek claims be settled, that the question of German colonies be dealt with and the vexing problem of Turkey be solved.
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS-The third big problem before the Confer- ence was the formation of a League of Nations. President Wilson regarded this as the most important work of the Conference. On January 25th the Con- ference declared itself in favor of such a League, and during the first two months, largely under President Wilson's compulsion, the Conference devoted itself to discussions of this matter apparently neglecting the other questions. This caused in February some temporary misunderstanding with France, who, alarmed by the apparent resurgence of Germany felt that the settlement of cer- tain specific questions should come first. She demanded that France be assured of quick aid in case of another war."
THE FIRST DRAFT OF LEAGUE SUBMITTED-On February 14th the constitution of the proposed League of Nations plan was read and explained to the Conference by President Wilson. It included 26 articles. It provided for a permanent executive council, a body of delegates from the member nations and a secretarial. President Wilson described it as "a moral force having an armed force in the background." On February 15th President Wilson sailed for the United States and the first phase of the Conference was over.
During President Wilson's absence the attention of the Conference was given to work on the preliminary peace treaty. This period was marked by a growing feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction in Paris, and of disorder and the spread of Bolshevism in the east.
On March 4th President Wilson arrived for the second time in Paris, and found the Conference in the act of completing the preliminary peace terms. His insistence on incorporating the League of Nations covenant in the Peace Treaty caused great excitement and practical paralysis on the peace terms work for a few days.
THE ITALIAN WITHDRAWAL- Further trouble was caused by the with- drawal of the Italian delegates on April 24th, because of disagreement over the Fiume question. Later, the delegation returned and harmony was restored.
On April 28th the revised form of the League of Nations Covenant was adopted by the Conference. For the Final Form of the League, see the inside back cover of this History.
TREATY HANDED GERMANY-On May 1st the German representatives to the Conference were received and credentials were exchanged. The names of the German delegates were as follows: Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Herr Landsberg, Minister of Publicity, Arts and Literature; Herr Giesberts, Minister of Posts; Herr Leinert, President of Prussian Assem- bly; Adolf Mueller, Minister to Berne; Walter Rathenau, Prominent Financier and Economic and Electrical Expert; Max Warburg, Shipbuilder and Financier; Herr Stegerwald, well-known Leader in the labor movement; Eduard David,
Minister of State in Scheidemann Cabinet; Dr. Theodor Melchior, Manager of Warburg Bank; Professor Schuecking, International lawyer. On May 7th in a great assembly, the Peace Treaty with the League of Nations covenant incor- porated in it was presented. No oral discussion was allowed but a period of two weeks (later extended) was given to Germany to make written sugges- tions and criticisms.
FOR THE GERMAN PEACE TERMS see the inside back cover of this History.
The Peace Terms caused a storm of comment and disapproval in Germany. The last weeks in May were devoted by the Conference to the consideration of the German counter proposals and some modifications were made-par- ticularly in the case of reparations. No considerable changes in the terms, however, were made by the Allies. The Allies' final draft of the terms was handed the German delegates at Versailles on June 16. The Delegation, headed by Count Von Brockdorff-Rantzau carried these Final Terms to the German gen- eral assembly sitting at Weimar. They were given until June 23 for acceptance or refusal. In case of refusal invasion of Germany was to at once follow.
AUSTRIAN TERMS-In the meantime work on other treaties and dealings with other nations have gone on. On May 8th work on the Peace terms for Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria was begun and by June 25th was practically complete. The Austrian peace terms provide for the reduction of the Austrian army to 15,000 men, the surrender of all war ships and virtually all military supplies, and the payment of an indemnity of one billion dollars.
On May 24th the Council of Four took up the consideration of the Bul- garian peace terms. At the same time China authorized her delegates to sign the Peace Treaty, with reservations regarding Shantung. On May 27th a special committee took up the drafting of a series of treaties with the newly created states. Many questions yet remain to be settled but it is felt that the chief work of the Peace Conference is drawing to a ciose.
THE PROBLEM OF TURKEY has practically been settled by dividing it into five or six parts. The chief difficulty is to so distribute the parts as not to cause religious war.
THE PROBLEM OF RUSSIA remains a complex one. Siberia, the Ukraine, the Baltic Provinces and the Caucasus have broken away, and there is no government for the whole country. The Bolsheviki control a large part of the country while in Siberia and the Caucasus region a government resisting the Bolsheviki is being aided by Allied money and council.
It has not been the policy of the Allies to interfere in Russian govern- mental affairs but to aid the Russians to establish peace and prevent the spread of Bolshevism to other countries.
Various attempts were made by the Peace Conference to get the various elements of Russia together but to no avail. On May 26th the Council of Four decided to recognize any non-Bolshevik government which would agree to con- vene a National Assembly and respect the frontiers determined by the League of Nations. The outcome is doubtful as the country is still in a state of an- archy and confusion.
OTHER WAR CHANGES-One of the chief results of the war was the break up of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire and its disintegration into a number of small states. The complete collapse of Austria made it easy to re- move the Hapsburg power from Hungary as well as Austria. While Austria was becoming a republic, Hungary was going through a period of revolution. With the abdication of Emperor Charles the government in Hungary came into the hands of Count Karolyi, an ardent defender of liberty and independence. On November 16th Hungary was officially declared a Republic with Karolyi its President. There followed a state of political chaos and communist revolt. Food conditions and the protest against the boundaries set by the Conference for Hungary, aggravated the situation. On March 21st the Karolyi government was overthrown by a communist revolutionary element under Russian Bolshevik leadership. By April 1st altho riot and disorder still continued the Soviet government had been recognized and the Conference had invited it to send dele- gates to discuss peace terms.
POLAND became a republic on February 9th with Paderewski as President, and on February 21st was recognized as an independent state by the Peace Conference. It contains about 22,000,000 people and 85,000 square miles. Its rebirth as a nation rights an ancient wrong.
JUGO-SLAVIA, or the country of the Southern Slavs, has been formed of the Kingdoms of Servia and Montenegro, together with the former Austrian Provinces of Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Dalmatia and Herzegovina. Its area is about 70,000 square miles; population about 8,000,000. Belgrade the capital of Servia is the capital of the new nation.
CZECHO-SLOVAKIA, a new Republic, was formed from the old Austrian Provinces of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. The Czechs also claim a portion of Hungary. The population of this new nation is about 10,511,444 and its area about 35,261 square miles.
CAPTURED GERMAN VESSELS SUNK: On June 21st. the German crews of the interned Battle Fleet located at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, sunk the greater part of the Fleet by opening the watercocks in the bottom of the vessels.
The German crews made good their escape from the sinking vessels and are held as prisoners by the British Government. As the Allies had themselves seriously discussed the advisability of the sinking of these War Vessels, the news of their loss was received with a mingled feeling of regret and relief.
GERMANS ACCEPT PEACE TERMS: The Final Peace Terms submitted to the German Assembly at Weimar provoked-as of course was expected-a storm of protest. After bitter discussion the German Cabinet, headed by President Ebert and Philipp Scheidemann resigned on June 21st, declining to sign the Treaty.
A new Cabinet headed by Gustav Bauer as President, and Dr. Hermann Mueller as Minister of Foreign Affairs, took office immediately; and on June 22nd transmitted through their Representatives at Versailles, their agreement to the signing of the Treaty in the form finally presented by the Allies.
THE GERMANS SIGN TREATY: On Saturday, June 28th, at 12: 00 o'clock noon in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles the Peace Terms were finally signed before an impressive assembly representing all the Allied Powers. The German represntatives were: Dr. Hermann Mueller, Foreign Minister; and Dr. Bell, Chief of Colonial Office.
Thus finally closes the greatest war of all times. From it emerges a wiser if a sadder world, possessed with the hope and belief that the oceans of blood shed by brave men in the cause of freedom was not shed in vain; and with a League of Nations formed to maintain and perpetuate the liberties so dearly preserved during four and a half years of frightful carnage.
FOR SUMMARY OF PEACE TERMS AND RESUME OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, SEE INSIDE BACK COVER OF THIS BOOK.
AN HISTORICAL THE WORLD WAR
SUMMARY OF
[ AUG. 1st, 1914 NOV. 11th, 1918
WITH GAZETEER GIVING PRONUNCIATION OF NAMES OF TOWNS ON THE WESTERN FRONT
1914
June 28-Archduke Ferdinand and wife assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
July 28-Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
Aug. 1-Germany declares war on Russia and general mobilizaton is un- der way in France and Austria-Hun- gary.
Aug. 2-German troops enter France at Cirey; Russian troops enter Ger- many at Schwidden; German army en- ters Luxemburg over protest and Ger- many asks Belgium for free passage of her troops.
Aug. 3-British fleet mobilizes; Bel- gium appeals to Great Britain for dip- lomatic aid and German ambassador quits Paris.
Aug. 4-France declares war on Ger- many; Germany declares war on Bel- gium; Great Britain senas Belgium neutrality ultimatum to Germany; British army mobilized and state of war between Great Britain and Ger- many is declared. President Wilson issues neutrality proclamation.
Aug. 5 Germans begin fighting on Belgium frontier; Germany asks for Italy's help.
Aug. 6-Austria declares war on Russia.
Aug. 7-Germans defeated by French at Altkirch.
Aug. 8 Germans capture Liege. Portugal announces it will support Great Britain; British land troops in France.
Aug. 10 France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
Aug. 12-Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary; Montenegro de- clares war on Germany.
Aug. 15-Japan sends ultimatum to Germany to withdraw from Japanese and Chinese waters and evacuate Kiaochow; Russia offers autonomy to Poland.
Aug. 20 German army enters Brus- sels.
Aug. 23 Japan declares war on Germany; Russia victorious in battles in East Prussia.
Aug. 24-Japanese warships bom- bard Tsingtao.
Aug. 25-Japan and Austria break off diplomatic relations.
Aug. 28 English win naval battle over German fleet near Helgoland.
Aug. 29-Germans defeat Russians at Allenstein; occupy Amiens; advance to La Fere, sixty-five miles from Paris.
Sept. 1-Germans cross
Marne; bombs dropped on Paris:
Sept. 2-Government of France transferred to Bordeaux.
Sept. 4-Germans cross the Marne.
Sept. 5-England, France, and Rus- sia sign pact to make no separate peace.
Sept. 6-French win battle of Marne;
Sept. 7-Germans retreat from the Marne.
Sept. 14-Battle of Aisne starts; German retreat halted.
Sept. 15-First battle of Soissons Cought.
Sept. 20-Russians capture Jaroslau and begin siege of Przemysl.
Oct. 9-10-Germans capture Ant. werp.
Oct. 12-Germans take Ghent.
Oct. 20 Fighting along Yser river begins.
Oct. 29-Turkey begins war on Rus- sia.
Nov. 1-British cruiser fleet destroy- ed in action off coast of Chile.
Nov. 7-Tsingtao falls before Japan- ese troops.
Dec. 8 German fieet destroyed in battle off Falkland islands.
Dec. 11-German advance on War- saw checked.
Dec. 14-Belgrade recaptured by Serbians.
Dec. 16 German cruisers bombard Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby, on English coast, killing fifty or more persons; Austrians said to have lost upwards of 100,000 men in Serbian de- feat.
Dec. 25-Italy occupies Avlona, Al- bania.
1915
Jan. 1-British battleship Formid- able sunk.
Jan. 8-Roumania mobilizes 750,000 men; violent fighting in the Argonne.
Jan. 11-Germans cross the Rawka, thirty miles from Warsaw.
Jan. 24-British win naval battle in North sea.
Jan. 29-Russian army invades Hun- gary; German efforts to cross Aisne repulsed.
Feb. 1-British repel strong German attack near La Bassee.
Feb. 2-Turks are defeated in at- tack on Suez canal.
Feb. 4-Russians capture Tarnow in Galicia.
Feb. 8 Turks along Suez canal in full retreat; Turkish land defenses at the Dardanelles shelled by British tor- pedo boats.
Feb. 11-Germans evacuate Lodz.
Feb. 12-Germans drive Russians from positions in East Prussia, taking 26,000 prisoners.
Feb. 14-Russians report capture of fortifications at Smolnik.
Feb. 16-Germans capture Plock and Bielsk in Poland; French capture two miles of German trenches in Cham- pagne district.
Feb. 17-Germans report they have taken 50,000 Russian prisoners in Ma- zurian lake district.
Feb. 18 German blockade of Eng- lish and French coasts put into effect.
Feb. 19-20-British and French fleets bombard Dardanelles forts.
Feb. 21-American steamer Evelyn sunk by mine in North sea.
Feb. 22- German war office an- nounces capture of 100,000 Russian prisoners in engagements in Mazurian lake region; American steamer Carib sunk by mine in North sea.
Feb. 28-Dardanelles entrance forts capitulate to English and French.
March 4-Landing of allied troops on both sides of Dardanelles straits
reported; German U-4 sunk by French destroyers.
March 10-Battle of Neuve Chapelle begins.
March 14-German cruiser Dresden sunk in Pacific by English.
March 18-British battleships Irre- sistible and Ocean and French battle- ship Bouvet sunk in Dardanelles strait.
March 22-Fort of Przemysl surren- ders to Russians.
March 23-Allies land troops on Gallipoli peninsula.
March 25-Russians victorious over Austrians in Carpathians.
April 8-German auxilliary cruiser, Prinz Eitel Friederich, interned at Newport News, Va.
April 16-Italy has 1,200,000 men mobilized under arms; Austrians re- port complete defeat of Russians in Carpathian campaign.
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