2/6/1919 Austria’s peace terms: no more submarines

The Allies in Paris have presented their peace terms to the Germans. Now at the palace of St. Germain the Austrians receive theirs. Austria is one of the successor states to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, like Hungary seen as part of the imperial centre that ruled over various subject peoples. As such the Austrians are seen as a defeated enemy, even if they clearly played second fiddle in the war to the Germans.

The Austrian peace terms have been prepared in a rush, largely copied from those presented to Germany (they even include a provision barring the landlocked country from operating any submarines). But there are some differences. Unlike the Germans, the Austrians are not being asked to accept responsibility for starting the war (which is curious, given the role played by Austrian leaders in starting the war). The Austrian terms are also more vague with regards to the country’s…