On November 4, 1918, the First World War ended. According to incomplete statistics, 10.5 million people died in the battle, including 4.4 million from the Allies and 6.1 million from the Entente. The number of deaths in each country is as follows: Germany 2.1 million, Russia 2 million, France 1.55 million, Austria-Hungary 1.2 million, Britain 900,000, Turkey 800,000, Italy 650,000, Romania 350,000, Serbia and Bulgaria 300,000 each, China 130,000, the United States 120,000, Canada 60,000, Australia 40,000......

These figures do not include the 16 million wounded, the 10 million prisoners of war, the civilians who died in the war, the Russian civil war and the Chinese Expeditionary Force's military operations against Red Russia. According to the estimates of the French Military Observer Mission in Russia, in the first half of 1918, about 750,000 people died in the Russian Civil War (with the actual participation of China), and this is only the number of military deaths.

The victorious powers were too busy reorganizing the world to take care of Russia for the time being. In December 1918, after a series of letters and telegrams, it was finally agreed that a conference would be held in Paris in January 1919 to discuss a series of post-war issues.

As one of the major belligerents, China is a natural "core" member, and the so-called core state was originally determined for the sake of secrecy. There were quite a few Entente countries, and if they had implemented parliamentary politics, they would probably not be able to accomplish anything. So only seven countries are listed as core members, namely the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, China, Russia (Great Russia) and Japan. Even Commonwealth member states such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, which made great efforts in the later period, were excluded. But don't worry, because with the boss of the United Kingdom, when it's time to speak for them, they will still speak.

Russia is a country that has made great sacrifices for victory. But now it is only the Kolchak government that will inherit the mantle of old Russia. The theory and practice of the Russian Party of the Cloth Party have subverted the cornerstones of the free world and must be eliminated. On this point, the leaders of the Entente were completely unanimous.

In fact, Britain's original assumptions were even more detached from reality. It is now back as world leader, uniting France and the United States to exclude Italy, Japan, Russia, and China, and the establishment of a post-war world order that only needs to be decided by Britain, France, and the United States. If it were not for the huge debt owed to the United States, if it were not for the fact that the US military played the role of the bottom line in 1918. Britain doesn't even want the United States.

But the United States categorically disagrees with this. Wilson believed that Russia and China had to participate, the former had paid great sacrifices for the victory (it was indeed so great that even the Russian Empire was divided), and the latter had made great contributions to stabilizing the eastern front and curbing the expansion of the evil forces of the Cloth Party, how could they not let the family enjoy the fruits of victory? China, in particular, is still shouldering a huge obligation and shedding blood and sacrifice for the cause of world peace, democracy and justice. Great Russia is long finished!

What would happen if the Cloth Party united Russia? The leaders of the Entente were clear. In less than two years, in the area ruled by the Ulyanov clique, the theories of two Germans who had been dead for decades were reformed and put into practice, and in the name of revolution, the dictatorship of the classes was imposed, and the politicians of the free world watched with horror the heads of the members of the Romanov dynasty being killed and the factories of the capitalists being "state-owned". The landlords' land was confiscated and distributed to the peasants...... Order has been ruthlessly subverted, and justice recognized by the free world has been trampled on. The black became white, and the noble became lowly. There is no reason at all, the theories pursued by those people have a deep practical basis, and the poverty, ignorance, and strict polarization created by the Russian Empire ruled by the Romanov dynasty have now become a deadly noose around the necks of the former aristocracy and the upper class, and countless inferior people have jumped out with joy to support the iron-blooded policy of the new regime, giving a hard lesson to the politicians of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries.

The European war destroyed the old order. The unleashing of centuries of Europe's wealth has unleashed a terrifying specter that has gained a foothold in the elite regions of Russia and is spreading to the world. Germany is in turmoil, and communist forces are spreading in Germany (which was the birthplace of theory in the first place). Do you want to watch Bolshevism occupy Russia, occupy Eastern Europe, and even occupy the world? Is it necessary to organize an expeditionary force to fight in the inhospitable Russian wilderness? The American people would never agree to that outcome.

Wilson righteously refuted the ideas of Clemenceau and George Lloyd. The reason behind this is unspeakable, that is, the United States needs the support of China and Russia (and now the Kolchak government basically looks at China's face). Italy's performance in Europe was extremely lame, and in fact its role was very limited. Japan is even more nonsense, except for sending its navy to seize Germany's colonies in the Pacific, it has not made any contribution, and the Americans even blamed Japan for deliberately releasing water when the German Far East Fleet successfully escaped from its difficulties and ran to the Pacific Ocean at the beginning of the war in 1914 to start a war to break diplomatic relations. So it's okay to exclude Italy and Japan, but not China and Russia.

The British, of course, saw through John Bull's sinister intentions. Japan has a deep grudge against China, a great deal of restraint on the United States, and is a traditional ally of the British Empire, so it must participate. Since Japan cannot but join, Italy should also join. And so the G7 was born.

This is the folding and shoehorning behind the Paris Peace Conference.

Now the Chinese government and the opposition have tasted the sweetness of the expeditionary force's overseas operations. If it were not for the sacrifice of more than 100,000 soldiers of the expeditionary force, China would never have been allowed to sit at the negotiating table.

This time, Long Qian must be dispatched. At the same time that Fang Shengyuan's delegation returned with a full load, the delegation to the Paris Peace Conference headed by Long Qian was formed, in addition to professionals, Long Qian ordered Tang Shaoyi and Wang Mingyuan's generals, and Foreign Minister Gu Weijun went directly to Paris from the United States after full consultation with Secretary of State Lan Xin.

In the name of peace, the Paris Conference was attended by 27 countries, but only seven countries were actually decided, and the rest were merely foils. The most dazzling politicians of the Paris Peace Conference were four people, Wilson, George Lloyd, Clemenceau, and Long Qian. Journalists chased after them, hoping for more scoops. In the eyes of reporters, Wilson, a former university president, was stern, stubborn but upright. George Lloyd's was a grumpy, fickle Welshman, and Clemenceau was the most nationalist, caring for nothing but French interests. Long Qian was evaluated by reporters as the most mysterious Oriental politician, the most military in his manners, and the most humorous in his conversation. His life experience is the most mysterious, and his achievements are the most eye-popping. Ten years ago, China was a country that was bullied by others, and ten years later, China can be ranked alongside first-class powers such as the United States, Britain and France. In addition to his disposition of the Allies (mainly Germany) and his personal affairs, Long Qian answered almost all questions to reporters, and his office was completely open to reporters, and he would not refuse interviews after 10 p.m. His witty frankness and unique vision of the development of the world situation became a hot topic of recitation among the upper echelons of Paris.

The 14-point proposal by U.S. President Wilson on ending the war and rebuilding after the war was slightly revised to get a tongguò. The establishment of a permanent organization to settle disputes between countries, the League of Nations, was fraught with obstacles, starting with the great divergence of opinions on the headquarters (permanent office) of the United Kingdom, which advocated the establishment of the League of Nations headquarters in London, and the United States, which was supported by France and Japan, and the latter by China and Russia, and finally compromised to have its headquarters in a neutral country, and finally chose Geneva, Switzerland.

Wilson's starting point for establishing an international permanent organization to settle disputes among nations was undoubtedly good. Its very existence was a superficial step away from the pre-1914 international anarchy. If the League of Nations really played its role as Wilson envisioned. A worldwide war may not be fought at all. But the League of Nations was not taken seriously by the world powers, and Germany was defeated. Without the right to speak, the victorious countries, Britain, and France had the idea of coping, basically giving face to the United States. China supported but had limited strength, Japan followed Britain, and Italy was disgruntled by the lack of benefits at the Paris Peace Conference. Sadly, the initiating country, the United States, also ended up going awry, because the final agreement of the Paris Peace Conference was not satisfactory to the US Congress. The Senate did not approve what Wilson brought back. This was due to the continued isolationism in the United States, its deep dislike of European affairs, and its dissatisfaction with the decisions of the Paris Peace Conference. The United States did not benefit in any real (territorial) way, other than a war proceed. The Senate, incidentally, even the United States was vetoed to join the League of Nations.

That's of course an afterthought. This is the case with democratic regimes, where the final decision of the president or the prime minister of the government on matters of state must be approved by the National Assembly. President Wilson, who was in France at the time, probably did not expect that the international institutions he had worked so hard to build would not have the participation of the United States.

The focus of the meeting was on the German question. France reacted most violently. Because the Great War in Western Europe was always fought on French soil, the German army remained entrenched in French territory until the surrender of Germany. So, France put forward a package proposal to "punish" Germany, including the territorial question and the issue of war reparations. The United States, Britain, Japan, Australia and other countries were more concerned about the ownership of Germany's overseas colonies.

The first is the territorial issue.

The French initially proposed that a state under the protection of the Entente should be created on German territory on the west bank of the Rhine. However, it was opposed by both China and the United States. The British also believed that excessive demands could only sow the seeds of another war. The French were forced to make concessions, but demanded a commitment from Britain and the United States that they would be obliged to fight alongside France in the event of an attack by Germany. Of course, France had to get the benefits, and in addition to the war reparations, France took back Lorraine and Alsace, and demanded that the Saarland coal mines be under French control for 15 years, and that the territory of the Saarland be governed by the League of Nations for 15 years, and that a referendum be held in 1935 to decide on its ownership.

For Eastern Europe, the countries unanimously agreed to the restoration of Poland. As has already been said, the Western powers were unanimously opposed to Bolshevism, the Brest Treaty had been abrogated, the Belarusian region had become a region ruled by the Brest Party, and the creation of a new Poland would help to erect a barrier between Red Russia and Central Europe. However, France and Britain did not forget to punish Germany, and Posen and West Prussia were transferred to Poland, so that the new Poland had access to the sea. The old German city of Danzig became a free city, isolating East Prussia, the birthplace of the Junker aristocracy, from Germany proper, and East Prussia became an enclave. Upper Silesia, rich in mineral deposits, was also annexed to Poland, and as a result of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Sudetenland, which was predominantly inhabited by Germans, was rejected and became the territory of a new state, Czechoslovakia.

And not only that, but in order to prevent Bolshevism. The Paris Peace Conference created a new map of Eastern Europe, and seven new states emerged: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. The map of Eastern Europe changed dramatically, with the collapse of the former dual empire of Austria-Hungary and the transformation of Austria and Hungary into two small and insignificant states. Romania expanded its territory with some territory from Hungary and Russia, and Greece expanded with the acquisition of Turkish territory.

The political order in the Middle East has been changed, and the former Ottoman Empire has long since disappeared. Turkey became a republic, its territory was confined to Asia Minor and the area around Constantinople, the rest of the Ottoman Empire became a British and French taboo, Syria and Lebanon were given to France, and Palestine and Iraq were given to Britain.

Germany's overseas colonies were divided, Germany's colonies in Africa went to Britain and France, Belgium also benefited, and Southwestern Africa, which was administered by Germany, went to the Confederation of South Africa.

On the maritime front, the German islands in the North Pacific were allocated to Japan, which had made little contribution to the war with the strong support of Great Britain. Australia, for its part, received New Guinea and the Solomon Islands......

China did not gain anything in terms of territory - except for the return of the Tangnu-Ulianghai region from old Russia. The so-called rights and interests of Central Asia are still in the fog, and China's control over the western region is still very weak, so no one cares about China's infiltration into Central Asia.

China and the United States were opponents of the partition of German territory and colonies, and China was even more strongly opposed. That made a strong impression on the German delegation - they were entirely accused and had no say but to accept the verdict. No one sympathizes with the losers, so China's attitude is more likely to garner the gratitude of the Germans.

The United States advocated the transfer of German overseas territories to the League of Nations. But the League of Nations is a completely virtual institution, and now it is not possible to implement trusteeship at all. Long Qian strongly advocated respect for history in secret and public meetings. The principles of respect for the people's choice were rejected, such as the Danzig question and the Sudetenland, which China advocated for a definite existence, and then a fair referendum presided over by the League of Nations to decide. But no one paid attention to China's Jianyì. Long Qian's proposal to give the German islands in the North Pacific to U.S. administration was also vetoed, and Long Qian interrupted the meeting for several days in protest.

Britain and France don't need China now, perhaps they think China has gained enough. In their eyes. China is still a second-rate country, but it was only by the United States that it was able to enter the G7.

Long Qian held a press conference at the hotel where he was staying, and comprehensively expounded China's position on the post-war order, arguing that only respect for historical and cultural traditions and respect for the people's choices can lead to true peace. Otherwise. The Paris Peace Conference did not bring peace, but a short-term truce.

The prophecy sparked a huge controversy, and the Times made a heated commentary on it, arguing that China was alarmist, confusing responsibility, and sowing discord. But Germany's radical right-wing organizations have expressed their gratitude to China, arguing that it is the only country that has taken a convincingly just position.

Equally resentful were the Italians and the Russians, who were furious that they had not received any territorial benefits. Italian Prime Minister Orlando, who attended the Paris Peace Conference, followed Long Qian's example and no longer attended the conference on the partition of German territory. The latter was dissatisfied with the Polish question, and Kolchak believed that Yan zhòng had violated Russian interests and damaged the feelings of the Russian people. It is worth mentioning that the Buenos Arabs regime, which has moved its capital to Moscow, has stated that it will never recognize the Paris Conference resolution on the question of Eastern Europe, and warned the countries of the Paris Conference that they must respect the feelings of the Russian people. This is the first time that the two Russians have made nearly identical voices on the issue of heavy dà.

The issue of war reparations was another important topic at the Paris Peace Conference. Reparations were inevitable, but Wilson was dumbfounded by the offers of the countries - a total of 1 trillion francs! The vast majority of this will be borne by Germany. Can Germany afford that much money? What do they pay for? Theoretically, Germany could only pay reparations by relying on export trade, but allowing Germany to export itself violated the interests of Britain, France, the United States and Italy. As a result, the resulting treaty did not specify the total amount of reparations, leaving it to a special committee to decide in the future. However, the conference nevertheless made some specific decisions, such as Germany giving up all private overseas deposits and handing over all merchant ships as the first war reparations.

Although China has declared that it will not seek any overseas territories - this statement has been highly appreciated by President Wilson. However, it is not without requirements, one of which is the issue of post-war reparations, which is China's due right. The future reparations commission must include China's participation. The second is that the various unequal treaties imposed on China by the great powers before the establishment of New China, although some of them have been withdrawn in recent years, still exist -- the concession issue, the Hong Kong and Macao issues, and the Tibet issue, which the British have been entangled in. Vice Premier Tang Shaoyi put forward a package of demands for all the great powers to return the concessions, Britain and Portugal to Hong Kong and Macao, and Japan to return Lushun (including the South Manchurian Railway), Taiwan, the Ryukyus, and the Penghu Islands. Long Qian issued a public statement that China's dignity and honor are at stake, and they must be satisfied.

China's demands became the main topic of discussion in the final days of the Paris Peace Conference. (To be continued......)