St Germain, Treaty of

St Germain, Treaty of (10 Sept. 1919) The peace treaty signed in the Parisian suburb of St Germain-en-Laye between the Allied powers and Austria after World War I, in the framework of the Paris Peace Conferences. Austria was forced to accept the breakup of Austria-Hungary, and the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia from 1929) from its former provinces of Dalmatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia-Hercegovina, as well as the creation of Czechoslovakia. In addition, Galicia returned to Poland, and Bukovina was ceded to Romania. The Trentino and South Tirol were ceded to Italy. Austria thus became a land-locked Alpine republic, reduced to entirely German-speaking areas (with the exception of a small Slavonic minority in Carinthia). Nevertheless, it was forbidden to carry the title of German Austria, nor was it allowed Anschluss with Germany, as had been demanded by the majority of the population in a referendum in March 1919. The Austrian army was limited in size to 30,000 men, with reparations to be decided at a later stage. The Treaty was signed with the greatest reluctance by representatives of the newly created Austrian Republic. For Austria, association with the harsh terms of the Treaty became a great subsequent burden and source of instability.

Trianon, Treaty of; map of Austria-Hungary.