Bolshevism Analysis

To what extent did the threat of the spread of Bolshevism affect the Paris Peace Conference of 1919?

A. Plan of Action
The outbreak of the Third Balkan War in July of 1914 transcended into the First World War that lasted three years longer than was expected. With the conclusion of the war, diplomats from around the world gathered in Versailles to make claims and create a long-lasting peace. Within the Halls of Mirrors, the looming fear of the spread of Bolshevism presided over the peacemakers. This investigation will evaluate the responses of the Big Four to the October Revolution and the treaty terms created to prevent the penetration of Bolshevism. Two sources used in this analysis are Politics and Diplomacy of Peacemaking: Containment and

Whiteman, Jr. Its purpose was to document his opinions in a series of “diary letters,” which were initially addressed to his wife and then to his in-laws. It is valuable because Charles Seymour was the Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Division of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace at the Paris Peace Conference. He was a member of an exclusive group named “The Inquiry,” established to collect and analyze information for the peace conference. The Inquiry became Wilson’s primary source of information and advice. Seymour’s background accounts for the bias in this source. Due to the secretive nature of the Paris Conference and his addressee, Seymour’s accounts speak more so to his personal opinions of individuals and events rather than a disclosure of specifics of peace terms for he did not want to “burden you [his wife] with so much detail.” Nevertheless, he not only provides the audience with his perception, such as calling Bolshevism a “poison,” but also reports that McCormick “believes Germany must not be pushed too hard now because of the danger of