Dissolving The Ottoman Empire - The Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of
Sèvres (10
August 1920) was the
peace treaty between the
Ottoman Empire and
Allies at the end of
World War I.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed with the
German Empire before this treaty to annul the
German concessions including the economic rights and enterprises. Also,
France,
Great Britain and
Italy signed a secret "
Tripartite Agreement" at the same date. The Tripartite Agreement confirmed
Britain's oil and commercial concessions and turned the former German enterprises in the Ottoman Empire over to a Tripartite corporation. The terms of the
Treaty of Sèvres were far more severe than those imposed on the German Empire in the
Treaty of Versailles. The open negotiations covered a period of more than fifteen months, beginning at the
Paris Peace Conference. The negotiations continued at the
Conference of London, and took definite shape only after the premiers' meeting at the
San Remo conference in
April 1920. France, Italy, and Great Britain, however, had secretly begun the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire as early as
1915. The delay occurred because the powers could not come to an agreement which, in turn, hinged on the outcome of the
Turkish national movement. The Treaty of Sèvres was annulled in the course of the
Turkish War of Independence and the parties signed and ratified the superseding
Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
The representatives signed the treaty in an exhibition room at the famous porcelain factory in
Sèvres, France.
The treaty had four signatories for the Ottoman Empire:
Rıza Tevfik, the grand vizier
Damat Ferid Pasha, ambassador Hadi
Pasha, and the minister of education Reşid Halis, who were endorsed by
Sultan Mehmed VI.
Of the
Principal Allied powers it excluded the
United States.
Russia was also excluded because it had negotiated the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Ottoman Empire in
1918. In that treaty, at the insistence of the
Grand Vizier Talat Pasha, the Ottoman Empire regained the lands Russia had captured in the
Russo-Turkish War (1877--1878), specifically
Ardahan,
Kars, and
Batumi.
Sir George Dixon Grahame signed for Great Britain,
Alexandre Millerand for France, and
Count Lelio Bonin
Longare for Italy.
Among the other Allied powers,
Greece did not accept the borders as drawn and never ratified it.
Avetis Aharonian, the
President of the
Delegation of the
First Republic of Armenia, which also signed the
Treaty of Batum on 4 June 1918, was a signatory of this treaty.
The leaders of France, Britain, and the United States had stated their differing objectives with respect to the Ottoman Empire during the
Paris Peace Conference, 1919. The common theme was the sick man of
Europe had come to his own end. However, it was a shock to the world when the treaty said the Allies were in agreement keeping the
Ottoman Government of
Constantinople, which remained the capital of the Ottoman Empire, though with the reservations of the conditions of the treaty. The treaty called for the expulsion of the Ottoman Empire from Europe. The treaty imposed terms so severe that
British policy seemed to have succeeded in strangling the sick man of Europe in his sick-bed in
Asia Minor.
The United States—having refused the
Armenian mandate in the
Senate—decided to have nothing to do with partition of the Ottoman Empire.
The U.S. wanted a permanent peace as quickly as possible, with financial compensation for its military expenditures. However, after the
American Senate rejected
Wilson's Armenian mandate, its only hope was its inclusion in the
Treaty by the influential
Greek prime minister,
Eleftherios Venizelos.
The treaty solidified the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire, in accord with secret agreements among the
Allied Powers.
The Kingdom of Hejaz was granted international recognition. Estimated area of
100,
000 sq mi (260,000 km2), and population of about 750,000. The biggest cities were
Holy Places, namely,
Mecca, with a population of 80,000, and
Medina, with a population of 40,000. It formerly constituted the vilayet of Hejaz, but during the war became an independent kingdom under British influence.
Armenia was recognized as an established state by the signed parties. (
Section VI "Armenia", articles 88-93).