The Treaty of Sevres

What was the Treaty of Sevres?

The Treaty of Sevres was one of the treaties of the Versailles Settlement.

Who was affected by the Treaty of Sevres?

The Treaty of Sevres was signed with the Ottoman Empire.

When was the Treaty of Sevres agreed?

It was signed in August 1920.

What were the terms of the Treaty of Sevres?

The Treaty of Sevres stated 9 important terms.

• ❖ The Ottoman Empire had to accept the break up of its territories.
• ❖ Control of all Ottoman Empire territories in the Middle East were given to Britain and France.
• ❖ Control of some of its land was handed to Greece and Italy.
• ❖ The Ottoman Empire lost control of the Dardanelles Strait between the Black and Mediterranean seas, which became an international waterway.
• ❖ The army was limited to 50,000 troops.
• ❖ The navy was strictly limited and the Ottoman Empire was banned from having an air force.
• ❖ Reparations were never set because of instability in the empire.
• ❖ The tax system, finances and budget were all controlled by the Allies.
• ❖ After the government refused to accept the Treaty of Sevres, the Republic of Turkey was formed. Its leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, challenged the peace treaty by driving the Greeks out of the city of Smyrna.

What was the reaction of Turkey to the Treaty of Sevres?

The people of Turkey were so angry with the treaty they overthrew their government. Their new leader said he would fight the Allies over the treaty.

How did Britain respond to Turkey's reaction to the Treaty of Sevres?

Britain did not want a return to war so they agreed to create the new Treaty of Lausanne.

What was the significance of the Treaty of Sevres?

There were 4 important points to the Treaty of Sevres.

• ❖ Unlike the other treaties negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference, the Treaty of Sevres was revised under the Treaty of Lausanne. This was significant because:
• ❖ It showed the other treaties were not enforceable. If there were protests against a harsh settlement there was little the Allies could do as they were afraid to return to war, to enforce the treaties' terms.
• ❖ When Britain decided to create a new treaty that Turkey might consider fair, this was seen as acceptance the old treaty was unfair. Therefore it undermined all treaties created under the peace settlement.
• ❖ The Treaty of Sevres and its subsequent renegotiation gave Hitler and Mussolini an excuse to break international law.