Treaty of Sèvres

About

The Treaty of Sèvres was a pivotal agreement signed on August 10, 1920, between the Allied Powers and the Ottoman Empire following World War I. It aimed to partition the Ottoman Empire, leading to its eventual dissolution. The treaty assigned significant territories to France, Britain, Greece, and Italy. France gained control over Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Anatolia, while Britain took over Palestine and Iraq. Greece was given control of Smyrna and parts of Thrace. The treaty also recognized Armenia as an independent state and provided for an autonomous Kurdistan. The treaty imposed severe military and financial restrictions on the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Army was limited to 50,000 men, and the navy was reduced to a few vessels. The empire was also stripped of its economic sovereignty, with the Allies controlling its finances. However, the treaty was never ratified due to Turkish nationalist resistance led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This resistance culminated in the Turkish War of Independence, leading to the eventual signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which established the modern Republic of Turkey. The Treaty of Sèvres remains a significant historical document marking the end of the Ottoman Empire's involvement in World War I.