Why was Central Eastern Europe created after World War One?

Essay by Aly_KA, September 2005

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One of the reasons for recreating Central Eastern Europe after World War One was the policy of self-determination, which was put forward and fiercely supported by an American president, Woodrow Wilson, who also had very democratic ideas. He, as well as the other peacemakers argued that people who thought of themselves as a nation should form a single state. For example, Poles should live in a country called Poland, which should be governed by Poles; and, as far as possible, there should be no other people inside Poland and no Poles outside Poland. Wilson believed that the war had broken out because before 1914 the frontiers of Europe were not drawn in this way. He also believed that not only by changing frontiers would it be possible to prevent further wars. In addition he believed that the various nationalities of Europe should decide for themselves where the frontiers should be.

These ideas were expressed in his famous "Fourteen Points". Wilson was an American and therefore wanted democracy to spread around the world, which would then make it easier for everyone to unite and fight back communism when time comes. When the states were created he said that all of them should be democratic, and so it meant that as they would rule themselves and be free, it would create a bigger and stronger sense of democracy.

The set up of new states also meant that it would lead to an end of Empires. This was in the interest of USA because it meant that trade would expand and America would benefit even more. As the countries would no longer have Empires in different parts of the world they would have to get the wanted goods through trade and as USA was the strongest in this business everyone would turn...