ABSTRACT
During the years immediately following the World War, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria were powerless to disturb the peace. The reëstablishment of peace was prevented by unsatisfied nationalist aspirations of the small states and by divergent policies of the few principal allied and associated powers. The principal and allied associated powers have been unable to come to an equitable understanding concerning each participant's share in the advantages accruing from the victory. In Europe, and outside Europe, nationalist aspirations were used by the statesmen of victorious powers to advance their own interests, frequently by wringing concessions from, or attempting to block the aims of, former comrades-in-arms. A paradox or a vicious circle has been established: because of the divergent policies of the principal allied powers the aspirations of small states and subject peoples were not realized at the Paris conference, and because these aspirations were not satisfied within reasonable and practicable limits, the policies of the principal allied powers.
