Formally dissolved Austria-Hungary's successor state German-Austria and redrew Central European borders after World War I.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 10 September 1919
- Signing location
- Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
- Parties
- Allied Powers and Republic of German-Austria
- Included covenant of
- League of Nations
- US ratification
- Not ratified; replaced by US–Austrian Peace Treaty of 1921
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the Allied victory in World War I, the Paris Peace Conference sought to formalize the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and settle the political status of its successor states. German-Austria, as a remnant state, required a separate peace agreement distinct from those made with Germany and Hungary.
On 10 September 1919, representatives of the victorious Allied Powers and the Republic of German-Austria signed the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The treaty included the Covenant of the League of Nations and established the formal terms of peace between the parties.
The treaty redrew Central European borders and imposed conditions on the new Austrian state. Because it contained the League of Nations Covenant, the United States Senate did not ratify it, necessitating the separate US–Austrian Peace Treaty of 1921 to normalize relations between the two countries.
Political Outcome
Peace settlement formally ending hostilities between the Allied Powers and German-Austria, dissolving the Austro-Hungarian successor state and redrawing Central European boundaries.
Austro-Hungarian Empire and its successor state German-Austria in a state of war or armistice with the Allies
German-Austria formally bound by peace terms; borders redrawn; League of Nations Covenant incorporated into treaty