The treaty is a piece of paper in which dozens of articles are written, ensuring that all states in the world live together in peace and harmony. To make a more specific definition, it is called a document or diplomatic instrument approved by the authorized bodies that certifies that two or more states comply with the principles and rules determined by them in matters such as cooperation, peace and trade.
Until today, we see that treaties are usually signed as a result of a war, that is, a conflict. These treaties are signed in such a way as to shape the borders, economies, international relations and alliances of the states. Today, we take a look at the treaties that are a very important tool of diplomacy, that changed the history of the world and that deeply affected its destiny.
Treaties that changed world history:
Main reason Brazilians speak Portuguese: Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
The Treaty of Tordesillas was accepted between Portugal and Spain (known as the Kingdom of Castile about 15 years ago), popular naval powers at the time it was signed. His negotiation was made by Pope VI. Alexander (Rodrigo Borgia) claimed responsibility. The main purpose of the treaty was to end and settle the fierce debates about the places Christopher Columbus discovered as a result of his voyage.
Previously, a line passing 400 km west of Cabo Verde Islands was determined and the west of this line was left to Spain and the east to Portugal. Unable to withstand the pressures of the Portuguese king, the Papacy redefined the undiscovered Americas and Brazil, giving Brazil and Africa to Portugal, and South and Central America (except Brazil) to Spain.
For this reason, we can say that the main language of Brazil is Portuguese. The reason for the pressure of Portugal was to own the trade route between Europe and Asia and to generate economic income from there. It was like that, but it didn’t last long, England and the Netherlands jointly eliminated Portugal and overturned this situation. Meanwhile, Spain did not stay idle and established a great empire in Latin America, benefited from its mineral wealth, and established colonies in the Philippines and Indonesia.
After thirty years of war: The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
The Peace of Westphalia was signed between the Roman Empire and the French Kingdom on October 24, 1648. The most important feature of this peace, namely the treaty, is the emergence of the concept of the nation-state. While international meetings used to have a religious character, thanks to this treaty, the state has become a secular conference environment where the problems of war and power are discussed.
In addition, this treaty ended a period called the Thirty Years’ War and has been shown by historians as the beginning of the modern age. Because rulers (monarchs) are given the right to determine the religion of their own people. In other words, whichever church the monarch belonged to, his people also belonged to that church.
The raison d’etre of America today: Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, to end the American Revolution (war) between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies in North America. This treaty has special historical significance for the United States. It is the oldest treaty in the United States because the United States gained its independence and was officially established through this treaty. The treaty is still in effect today.
The French and Spaniards wanted to prevent the establishment of the United States of America, and even if it was established, it would have economic difficulties. The Americans and the British did their best and expanded their borders thanks to this treaty and turned into today’s international power center.
Stop Napoleon, you have scattered everything: Congress of Vienna (1814-15)
The Congress of Vienna took place on March 9, 1814, as the leaders of Europe, the United Kingdom, Austria, Prussia, and Russia formed an alliance among themselves to review and correct the political geography and balance of power, while constantly defeating Napoleonic France. He brought France and the alliance members together to prevent further conflicts and wars between the nations.
In the congress, which progressed in stages, discussions were held on the problems that emerged in Europe after the French Revolution. Representatives of all nationalities attended. The positions of the countries were discussed until they became acceptable to all. With the series of treaties signed in the congress, the position of the countries was reshaped close to the present borders.
This congress was the first and the result of the attempts of the European states to resolve their problems through meetings. In fact, with this attempt, there was no war in Europe for about 100 years (until World War I). Another important element of the congress was how the losing parties were treated. Far from behaving in a punitive manner, the parties did their best to keep their political structures intact.
Germans broke overnight: Treaty of Versailles (1919)
After the First World War, there was a thought between the Western Allies and Germany, “He who is the fittest survives”. Just then, on 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty was so bad for Germany that with it the Second World War was inevitable. Germany had given up all its overseas territories. He gave all warships to the Allied Powers and was prevented from building submarines and airplanes from now on. As if all these were not enough, war reparations were requested from Germany under the name of “Repair Debt”.
This being the case, Germany had to accept the peace treaty despite these articles, as it could not continue the war. This caused us to smell the smells of the Second World War. Adolf Hitler, who came to power in 1933, set the first goal of getting rid of the military restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Over time, Germany was secretly organized and World War II broke out.
With Sevres and Lausanne, the Ottoman Empire was divided and a very bad period began for the Middle East. The Armenians and the Kurds realized that they had lost. The Arabs, on the other hand, realized that they were under colonial rule in so-called countries such as Syria and Iraq.
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