Understanding Western Society
Printed Page 797
| > | In what ways was the Allied peace settlement flawed? |
EEVEN AS CIVIL WAR RAGED IN RUSSIA and chaos engulfed much of central and eastern Europe, the war in the west came to an end in November 1918. Early in 1919, the victorious Western Allies came together in Paris, where they worked out terms for peace. The resulting settlement turned out to be a disappointment for peoples and politicians alike. Rather than lasting peace, the immediate postwar years brought economic crisis and violent political conflict.
Prince Faisal at the Versailles Peace Conference, 1919Standing in front, Faisal is supported by his allies and black slave. Nur-as-Said, an officer in the Ottoman army who joined the Arab revolt, is second from the left, and the British officer T. E. Lawrence — popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia — is fourth from the left in back. Faisal failed to win political independence for the Arabs, as the British backed away from the vague promises they had made during the war. (© Imperial War Museum (Q 55581))