This study presents the Paris Peace Treaties of 1919-20 in a new light. Going beyond conventional narratives about the "dictated" peace of Versailles and the failures of the peacemakers, the book offers a fresh and comprehensive look at the five peace treaties with Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Marcus Payk exhibits the influence of late 19th century normative expectations and demonstrates how the entire peace settlement was deeply imbued by notions of international law, justice, and legality. The study examines the political power as well as intrinsic logic of legal arguments in foreign affairs, arguing for a more nuanced picture of a juridification of international politics.

Marcus M. Payk, Humboldt Universität Berlin