Treaty of Lausanne

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: Why were the various parts of the defunct Ottoman Empire of particular interest to the British and to Western Europe generally?
• 2.: Initially, it appeared that negotiations preceding the Treaty of Lausanne would be a failure and that the treaty would never be signed. What factors may have motivated the British to take a more flexible approach to the negotiations and ultimately agree to the final document?
• 3.: Compare the Treaty of Lausanne with the Treaty of Versailles. Both brought an official end to World War I, but with very different consequences. How did those consequences differ? Why?
• 4.: The treaty states that “the Turkish Government undertakes to assure full and complete protection of life and liberty to all inhabitants of Turkey without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion. All inhabitants of Turkey shall be entitled to free exercise, whether in public or private, of any creed, religion or belief.” To what extent do you believe this provision has contributed to the development of a stable, relatively prosperous modern-day Turkey?
• 5.: Some Turks continue to believe that the treaty represented a defeat. Why do they take this position? Based on what you know about the Ottoman Empire, World War I, and the aftermath of the war, do you agree or disagree with this position?