Sevres

Question 1

When and where was the Treaty of Sèvres signed?

Answer 1

August 10, 1920, at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, France.

Question 2

What was the main purpose of the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 2

To dismantle the Ottoman Empire and divide its territories among Allied powers after WWI.

Question 3

Was the Treaty of Sèvres ratified by the Ottoman government?

Answer 3

No, it was never ratified and was superseded by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.

Question 4

Which Allied powers were key negotiators of the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 4

Britain, France, Italy, and Greece.

Question 5

What territories did Britain gain under the treaty?

Answer 5

Mandates over Palestine and Mesopotamia (Iraq).

Question 6

What territories did France gain under the treaty?

Answer 6

Mandates over Syria and Lebanon.

Question 7

What territories did Italy gain under the treaty?

Answer 7

Zones of influence in southwestern Anatolia and the Dodecanese Islands.

Question 8

What territories did Greece gain under the treaty?

Answer 8

Eastern Thrace and administration of Smyrna (Izmir) with a planned plebiscite.

Question 9

What military restrictions were imposed on the Ottoman Empire?

Answer 9

Army limited to 50,700 men; no air force; navy limited to 7 sloops and 6 torpedo boats.

Question 10

What was the status of the Turkish Straits under the treaty?

Answer 10

International control was established over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, guaranteeing free navigation.

Question 11

What new states were proposed in the treaty?

Answer 11

Independent Armenian and Kurdish states.

Question 12

What economic controls did the treaty impose on the Ottoman Empire?

Answer 12

Allied supervision of the Ottoman budget, economy, and reinstatement of capitulations favoring Allied interests.

Question 13

How did the treaty affect Ottoman sovereignty?

Answer 13

It drastically reduced sovereignty by partitioning territory and imposing foreign control.

Question 14

What was the reaction of Turkish nationalists to the treaty?

Answer 14

Led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkish nationalists rejected the treaty and fought the Turkish War of Independence.

Question 15

What was the Chanak Crisis?

Answer 15

A 1922 confrontation between Turkish nationalists and British forces over control of the Straits, narrowly avoided war.

Question 16

What happened after the Turkish War of Independence?

Answer 16

The Treaty of Lausanne (1923) replaced the Treaty of Sèvres, recognizing the Republic of Turkey.

Question 17

What was the mandate system established by the treaty?

Answer 17

Allied powers administered former Ottoman territories under League of Nations mandates.

Question 18

How did the treaty address minority rights?

Answer 18

It required equal rights for Muslims and non-Muslims and return of deported peoples.

Question 19

What was the treaty’s impact on the Middle East?

Answer 19

It laid the foundation for modern Middle Eastern borders and colonial mandates.

Question 20

Why is the Treaty of Sèvres considered a ‘diktat’?

Answer 20

It was imposed by the Allied powers without Ottoman consent, reflecting big power dominance.

Question 21

How did big power politics influence the negotiation of the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 21

The treaty was dominated by the imperial and strategic ambitions of Britain, France, Italy, and Greece, who sought territorial gains and spheres of influence at the Ottoman Empire’s expense.

Question 22

What secret planning preceded the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 22

Britain, France, and Italy secretly planned the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire as early as 1915, before the treaty was drafted.

Question 23

How did the San Remo Conference (April 1920) shape the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 23

It formalized the division of Ottoman territories into mandates and zones of influence controlled by the Allied powers, largely ignoring Ottoman sovereignty.

Question 24

What were the main territorial gains for Britain under the treaty?

Answer 24

Mandates over Palestine and Mesopotamia (Iraq), securing strategic routes to India and oil resources.

Question 25

What territorial gains did France receive?

Answer 25

Mandates over Syria and Lebanon, expanding its colonial reach in the Levant.

Question 26

How did Italy benefit from the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 26

Italy gained zones of influence in southwestern Anatolia (Antalya and Konya) and retained the Dodecanese Islands.

Question 27

What role did Greece play in the treaty’s territorial arrangements?

Answer 27

Greece was awarded Eastern Thrace and administration of Smyrna (Izmir), backed by Britain and France.

Question 28

How did big power rivalry affect the treaty’s terms?

Answer 28

Competing imperial interests led to overlapping claims and zones of influence, complicating the treaty and undermining local sovereignty.

Question 29

How did the treaty reflect the dominance of big power politics over local populations?

Answer 29

The treaty was imposed without meaningful Ottoman input, disregarding Turkish nationalist aspirations and Arab nationalist movements.

Question 30

What economic controls did the Allied powers impose on the Ottoman Empire?

Answer 30

Allied supervision of the Ottoman budget, key economic institutions, and reinstatement of capitulations favoring Allied economic interests.

Question 31

How did the treaty’s military restrictions serve Allied strategic interests?

Answer 31

The Ottoman army was limited and its navy restricted to ensure Allied dominance and prevent Turkish military resurgence.

Question 32

What was the international status of the Turkish Straits under the treaty?

Answer 32

The Bosphorus and Dardanelles were placed under international control, securing Allied access and limiting Turkish sovereignty.

Question 33

How did big power politics contribute to the treaty’s failure?

Answer 33

The treaty’s harsh terms and disregard for Turkish nationalism led to rejection by Mustafa Kemal’s nationalist movement and the Turkish War of Independence.

Question 34

How did the treaty institutionalize colonial control in the Middle East?

Answer 34

By establishing the mandate system, it continued colonial rule under League of Nations auspices, reflecting Allied imperial ambitions.

Question 35

What was the Chanak Crisis and its relation to big power politics?

Answer 35

A 1922 confrontation between Turkish nationalists and British forces over the Straits, illustrating tensions from Allied imposition of the treaty.

Question 36

How did the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) relate to the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 36

Lausanne superseded Sèvres after Turkish nationalist victory, reversing many territorial and political provisions imposed by big powers.

Question 37

How did big power politics influence minority and territorial arrangements in the treaty?

Answer 37

Proposed Armenian and Kurdish states were part of Allied strategies to weaken Ottoman territorial integrity.

Question 38

What role did economic interests play in shaping the treaty?

Answer 38

Control over oil resources, trade routes, and economic privileges were central to Allied demands.

Question 39

How did the treaty affect Arab nationalist aspirations?

Answer 39

It ignored Arab demands for independence, fueling resistance and future conflicts in the Middle East.