Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World

Paris 1919 is a narrative history of the Peace Conference held between January and July 1919, the first comprehensive treatment of the subject in over twenty-five years. The book examines how much of the modern world was shaped during these six months, including the creation of countries such as Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Israel. The conference brought together leaders and figures from around the world, including American president Woodrow Wilson, British prime minister David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, John Maynard Keynes, Lawrence of Arabia, and Ho Chi Minh, who submitted a petition for Vietnamese independence while working as a kitchen assistant at the Ritz. Over six months, Paris served as the center of the world as the peacemakers redrew borders and established new nations. MacMillan examines the personalities, ideals, and prejudices of those involved in the settlement. The book addresses how Russia was sidelined, China alienated, and Arabs dismissed, while the peacemakers grappled with issues including Kosovo, the Kurds, and a Jewish homeland. MacMillan argues that the peacemakers have been unfairly blamed for the settlement's failures and refutes the widely accepted view that reparations imposed on Germany were largely responsible for World War II. Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize, the PEN Hessell Tiltman Prize, and the Duff Cooper Prize.