Some Problems of the Peace Conference

These talks offer a concise yet thorough walk‑through of the territorial reshaping that followed the Great War. Drawing on lectures first delivered at the Lowell Institute, the authors set each dispute within its historic backdrop while pressing readers to see the practical stakes that the 1919 Paris deliberations demanded. Their survey stays focused on Europe’s borders—leaving Russia aside—and avoids the minutiae of secret negotiations, giving listeners a clear sense of the issues that shaped the peace settlements.

The book moves region by region, from Belgium and the Schleswig question through Alsace‑Lorraine, the Rhine and the Saar, to the rebirth of Poland and the breakup of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire. It then follows the complex adjustments in Hungary, the Adriatic coast, and the Balkans, supported by helpful maps and concise bibliographies. Listeners will come away with a solid grasp of how the conference tackled frontiers, the logic behind its decisions, and the enduring challenges that still echo in Europe’s political landscape.