The world in
What happened in 1919?
35 events across 8 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Treaty of VersaillesSigned on 28 June 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, the Treaty of Versailles was the key World War I peace agreement; it entered into force on 10 January 1920, formally ending the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: David Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson and Georges Clemenceau / Public domain ↗
Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920)After World War I, the Allied Powers convened a peace conference at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, lasting several months, to set peace terms for the defeated Central Powers. Dominated by Britain, France, the United States, and Italy, the conference resulted in several treaties that redrew maps of parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, and imposed financial penalties on Germany and others. The defeated nations were not given a voice, which later led to lasting political resentments. The arrangements are considered a major watershed in 20th-century geopolitical history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Edward N. Jackson (US Army Signal Corps) / Public domain ↗
Polish–Soviet WarFrom February 1919 to March 1921, the Second Polish Republic fought the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Emerging from World War I and the Russian Revolution, both were nascent states confronting each other. The war stemmed from intertwined political and territorial aims, intensified by borders left undefined under the post-Versailles settlement.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-LayeOn 10 September 1919, the Allies and Austria signed the Treaty of Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye at the château of the same name, establishing post–World War I peace with Austria. When it entered into force, it proclaimed the dissolution of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire, and Austria recognized the independence of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-SeineOn 27 November 1919, the victorious Allies of World War I and Bulgaria signed a treaty at Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. The treaty required Bulgaria to cede territories and pay reparations.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Establishment of the Neuville-St Vaast German War CemeteryAfter World War I, a German war cemetery was established near Neuville-Saint-Vaast in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France to consolidate the burial of fallen soldiers. It is the largest German cemetery in France, containing over 44,000 burials, with around 8,000 unidentified.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: LJade728 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Polish–Ukrainian War beginsIn November 1918, the Second Polish Republic and the West Ukrainian People's Republic began an armed conflict for control of Eastern Galicia, lasting until July 1919. The war started with a series of clashes in Lviv and ended with an informal ceasefire.
Outbreak of the Polish–Lithuanian WarIn May 1919, newly independent Poland and Lithuania began fighting over the Vilnius and Suwałki regions. The undeclared war lasted into 1920, overlapping with the Polish–Soviet War. Mediation attempts by the League of Nations and the Conference of Ambassadors proved unsuccessful.
Hungarian–Romanian WarThe Hungarian–Romanian War was a military conflict between the Hungarian Democratic Republic (later Hungarian Soviet Republic) and the Kingdom of Romania. Hostilities began in late 1918 and ended in early August 1919 with the Romanian occupation of Budapest and the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic. Subsequently, Romania occupied parts of eastern Hungary until 1920 and ultimately gained Transylvania.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
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Ukrainian–Soviet WarThe Ukrainian–Soviet War broke out in 1917 as an armed conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and Soviet Russia. It began after the October Revolution when Lenin sent an expeditionary force into Ukraine. The Ukrainian side was led by Symon Petliura. Considered part of the Ukrainian War of Independence, the conflict ultimately ended in the failure of Ukraine's struggle for national independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the Lithuanian Wars of IndependenceAt the end of World War I, Lithuania fought to defend its independence against Bolshevik forces, Bermontians, and Poland. The first of these conflicts began in December 1918, delaying international recognition of Lithuania's restored independence and its civil institutions.
Lithuanian–Soviet WarIn December 1918, Soviet forces invaded newly independent Lithuania as part of their westward offensive, controlling about two thirds of its territory by January 1919. In February, Lithuanian and German volunteers counterattacked, preventing the capture of the temporary capital, Kaunas. The conflict subsequently intertwined with the Polish–Soviet War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Unveiling of the Cenotaph in LondonInitially a temporary structure for a victory parade, the Cenotaph was unveiled as a permanent monument in 1920, becoming the UK's national war memorial. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it symbolises the absence of the fallen and serves as a focal point for public mourning. It later came to commemorate casualties of subsequent conflicts.
- Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic experienced hyperinflation primarily between 1921 and 1923, peaking in 1923. The German government financed World War I through borrowing and later faced reparations, leading to massive printing of money. This caused a sharp devaluation of the Papiermark, domestic political turmoil, and foreign occupation of the Ruhr. Stability was restored through new currencies like the Rentenmark, and the episode deeply shaped Germany's subsequent fiscal conservatism.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Establishment of Saint-Benoît-la-Chipotte National CemeteryAround the early 20th century, France established a national cemetery at the Col de La Chipotte in Vosges to bury soldiers who died in World War I.
Battle of the Frontiers beginsThe Battle of the Frontiers began in August 1914 as a series of major engagements on the Western Front of World War I. French commander Joffre and German commander Moltke the Younger implemented Plan XVII and the Schlieffen-Moltke Plan respectively. Fighting occurred along the Franco-German border and southern Belgium. The French forces were eventually forced to retreat.
Founding of the Musée de l'Air et de l'EspaceIn 1919, the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace was founded at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, following a proposal by aeronautics engineer Albert Caquot. It would become France's premier aerospace museum.
West Asia
Armenian GenocideBetween 1915 and 1917, the Ottoman Empire's Committee of Union and Progress systematically destroyed the Armenian people, primarily through death marches and forced Islamization, resulting in approximately one million deaths.
Outbreak of the Turkish War of IndependenceIn 1919, the Turkish War of Independence broke out in Anatolia, primarily pitting the Turkish National Movement against the Entente powers and their allies. The war stemmed from the occupation and partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. After about four years of conflict, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, the sultanate and caliphate were abolished, and the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923.
Greco-Turkish WarThe Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) pitted Greece against the Turkish National Movement amid the partition of the Ottoman Empire and formed part of the Turkish War of Independence. Fought from 15 May 1919 to 14 October 1922, it ended with a Turkish victory that nullified the Treaty of Sèvres. Under the Treaty of Lausanne, Greece abandoned its 1920 territorial gains and retained only the Aegean islands; the compulsory population exchange between the two states was carried out under a separate convention concluded at the Lausanne conference.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
- Establishment of Baku State University
In 1919, the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic established Baku State University in the capital city, marking it as the country's first modern higher education institution. It initially comprised faculties of history and philology, physics and mathematics, law, and medicine, enrolling 1,094 students in its first year. Its first rector was V.I. Razumovsky, a former professor of surgery at Kazan University.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Franco-Turkish WarThe Franco-Turkish War (December 1918 – October 1921) was a series of armed conflicts between the Turkish Grand National Assembly forces and the French army in Cilicia and elsewhere, during the Turkish War of Independence. French claims in the region stemmed from the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the crisis of Armenian refugees further fueled tensions. The war ended with Turkish victory and French withdrawal, consolidating the Turkish national movement's control over southern Anatolia.
Armenian–Azerbaijani WarThe Armenian–Azerbaijani War was a conflict fought between 1918 and 1920 in the South Caucasus, involving the newly established states of Armenia and Azerbaijan. It erupted after the fall of the Russian Empire, primarily in regions with mixed Armenian and Azerbaijani populations. The fighting was largely irregular and resulted in heavy civilian casualties. The Ottoman Empire and the United Kingdom intervened on opposing sides, and the war concluded with the establishment of Soviet rule.
- Georgian–Ossetian Uprisings (1918–1920)
Between 1918 and 1920, a series of uprisings erupted in Ossetian-inhabited areas, first against the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic and later the Menshevik-led Democratic Republic of Georgia. The conflict claimed thousands of lives and left lasting trauma among Georgian and Ossetian communities.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- Mexican Revolution
A prolonged armed conflict among factions in Mexico from 1910 to 1920, aiming to end dictatorship, culminating in a constitution and a constitutional republic. It caused around one million deaths and profoundly transformed Mexican culture and government.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
1918–1920 influenza pandemicBetween 1918 and 1920, an exceptionally deadly influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus swept the globe. About one-third of the world population (500 million people) was infected, with death estimates ranging from 20 to 50 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park was established in the early 20th century in northwestern Arizona, USA, protecting the spectacular Grand Canyon carved by the Colorado River. The canyon reaches depths of 1,500 meters and extends roughly 454 km, often called a living geological textbook. The park covers over 1.2 million acres and later became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Marek Ślusarczyk ( Tupungato ) Photo portfolio / CC BY 3.0 ↗
Construction Begins on Hearst CastleIn 1919, publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan began planning and construction of Hearst Castle on a hill near San Simeon on California's Central Coast. The estate later became a museum within a California State Park and was designated a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
North Africa
Rif War beginsIn 1921, armed conflict broke out between Spain and Berber tribes of the Rif region in northern Morocco. Led by Abd el-Krim, Rifian forces used guerrilla tactics and captured Western weaponry to repeatedly defeat Spanish troops. France intervened in 1925, escalating the war, which ended with the surrender of the Rifian resistance.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: José Moreno Carbonero / Public domain ↗
- 1919 Egyptian Revolution
The 1919 Egyptian Revolution was a nation-wide revolution against British occupation. It was directly sparked by the British-ordered exile of nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul and other Wafd Party members.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Outbreak of the French conquest of MoroccoIn 1907, France began its conquest of the Sultanate of Morocco by occupying Oujda on 29 March. Subsequent military campaigns led to the Treaty of Fes in 1912, establishing the French protectorate, while pacification operations continued until 1934.
Central & South America
Banana WarsBetween 1898 and 1934, the United States carried out a series of military occupations, police actions, and interventions in Central America and the Caribbean. These operations were primarily conducted by the United States Marine Corps, which compiled the Small Wars Manual (1921) based on its experiences.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: A. R. Harrison, United States Marine Corps / Public domain ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Outbreak of the Basmachi Movement
In 1916, an uprising by Muslim peoples of Central Asia against tsarist conscription and colonial rule broke out in Turkestan, marking the beginning of the Basmachi movement. This decentralized resistance later turned against Soviet rule and became the most protracted anti-colonial armed struggle in the region, gradually subsiding only by 1934.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Signing of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919
On 8 August 1919, the United Kingdom and Afghanistan signed the Treaty of Rawalpindi, ending the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Britain recognized Afghanistan's independence, renounced expansion beyond the Khyber Pass, and ceased subsidies. Afghanistan accepted existing border agreements, including the Durand Line. This treaty restored Afghan sovereignty, and 19 August later became Afghan Independence Day.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
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Outbreak of the May Fourth MovementOn May 4, 1919, students in Beijing protested against the Paris Peace Conference's decision to transfer German rights in Shandong to Japan. Chanting 'fight for sovereignty, expel traitors,' they burned the Zhaojialou residence and beat Zhang Zongxiang. The incident sparked nationwide strikes, boycotts, and protests, forcing the Beiyang government to dismiss pro-Japanese officials. China's delegation ultimately refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Around 1919
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains