Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2013, History (Arts and Sciences)

The collapse of the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian Empires in 1918 created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe. Within this vacuum, an independent Poland emerged. The allied powers (France, Great Britain, the USA, and Italy) gathered in Paris to determine the peace settlements and the boundaries of new states. Each state arrived at the conference with their own visions, which, at times, conflicted with other nation's concepts. Events in the East, however, interrupted allied discussions and revealed the uncertainty in allied policy toward Poland. The David Lloyd George papers, published document collections, memoirs, and secondary literature reveal the connection between allied visions for post-war Europe and the level of support provided to Poland. Furthermore, the sources reveal the connection between allied opposition to Polish goals and Poland's use of its military to gain contested territory.

Committee: T. David Curp (Advisor); Steven Miner (Committee Member); John Brobst (Committee Member) Subjects: East European Studies; European History; History; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Modern History; Slavic Studies