Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 04.djvu/93

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
LEFT
63
RIGHT

EUROPE 63 EUROPE Celtic conies the Teutonic race, compre- hending the Germanic and Scandinavian branches. The former includes the Ger- mans, the Dutch, and the English. The Scandinavians are divided into Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians. To the E., in general, of the Teutonic race, though sometimes mixed with it, come the Slavonians, that is, the Russians, the Poles, the Czechs or Bohemians, the Ser- vians, Croatians, etc. In the S. and S. E. of Europe are the Greek and Latin peoples, the latter comprising the Ital- ians, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. All the above peoples are regarded as belonging to the Indo-European or Aryan stock. To the Mongolian stock belong the Turks, Finns, Lapps, and Magyars or Hungarians, all immigrants into Europe in comparatively recent times. The Basques at the western ex- tremity of the Pyrenees are a people whose affinities have not yet been de- termined. The total population of Eu- rope is about 425,000,000. Political Divisions. — The lines of divi- sion of Europe were greatly changed and in many cases obliterated by the World War. As a result of the treaty follow- ing the conclusion of the war, new na- tions were established. This included Jugoslavia, Czecho-Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Esthonia, Lithuania, and others. Germany lost, in addition to 5,600 square miles of territory, with nearly 2,000,000 inhabitants, by the recession to France of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, control of the great Saar Valley coal fields, to compensate in part for the coal mines of northern France destroyed or crippled during the war. Within 15 years from the coming into effect of the Peace Treaty, the inhabitants of this basin are to determine by plebiscite whether they shall remain under +he control of the League of Nations, be- coming a part of France, or revert to Germany. Germany was also compelled to surrender to Poland the vast area with a population of 6,000,000, and, in order to provide Poland with an outlet to the sea, Germany was compelled to relinquish the Baltic seaport of Danzig which became the free city of Danzig under the protection of the League of Nations. The Memel district, northeast of East Prussia, was given in charge of the Allied and Associated Powers, pend- ing the final settlement of their sov- ereignty. In addition to the Saar Basin, the Peace Treaty designated these areas for plebiscite to determine their eventual ownership. Two of these were in East Prussia, one in northern Schleswig, southern Schleswig, Holstein, and Upper Silesia. Plebiscites were held in all these prior to 1921, except Upper Si- lesia. Holstein and southern Schleswig elected to be reincorporated into the Ger- man Republic. North Schleswig voted to return to Denmark, and East Pi'ussia preferred German as against Polish absorption. By the Treaty of St. Germain, signed Sept. 10, 1919, the monarchy of Austria- Hungary ceased to exist. Its place was taken by the republics of Austria, Hun- gary, and Czecho-Slovakia, while large areas of its former territory passed into the hands of Italy, Rumania, and Jugo- slavia. For further details see the articles on these countries. By the Treaty of Neuilly signed on Nov. 27, 1919, Bulgaria suffered a loss of territory. Bulgarian Thrace was given to Greece. To Jugoslavia was surren- dered a strip of territory including the town of Strumitsa and two small por- tions of territory belonging to the west- ern Bulgarian front. The total area of territory lost was about 2,000 square miles. Turkey, by the Treaty of Sevres, be- came in Europe scarcely more than a name. Its European territory included only a small tract of land west of Con- stantinople, and the city itself. The Dardanelles, the Bosporus, and the shores of the Sea of Marmora were placed under the control of the Interallied Com- mission. Turkish Thrace was awarded to Greece. Twelve islands formerly be- longing to Turkey, known as the Spo- rades, were awarded to Italy, who, on the same day, ceded all the group with the exception of Rhodes, to Greece. The Russian empire, as the result of the revolution, was deprived of a great area of territory from which new states were formed. These included the repub- lics of Finland, the Baltic states of Es- thonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and a large territory which went to help form the republic of Poland. Montenegro ceased to exist as an independent power and became a part of the kingdom of Jugoslavia. Albania had declared its independence in 1917, but its boundaries had not been established at the begin- ning of 1921. Italy gained, as a result of the war, the so-called "unredeemed provinces," including the Trentino region, Gorizia, and the Istrian peninsula, together with the great seaport of Trieste. The esti- mated area of this territory is between 15,000 and 18,000 square miles, with nearly 2,000,000 inhabitants. Italy also gained the administration of the island of Rhodes and several other small islands. Greece made great territorial gains. In addition to the acquisition of Thrace