ENDING WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10138, 28 November 1918, Page 7

ENDING WAR

WHEN HOSTILITIES CEASED

historic instances op how PEACE WAS MADE. Now that the armistice which ended the recent great war is in operation, and an abiding peace looms alluringly , before the world, it is interesting to read the following description by an American student of international affairs in “Current History” of the methods of bringing wars to an end in the greater struggles of the last century. He writes; The Napoleonic peace treaties usually began with an armistice. The most famous—the Treaty of Tilsit—was brought about by a personal meeting between Napoleon and Alexander 1.,, on a raft in the'middle of the river Niemen, to agree upon an armistice which the Czar had already sought. Hi's fall in 1814 was accomplished by no negotiations. The Allies were actually in Paris-* Napoleons generals persuaded him to sign an act of abdication, and the French Senate dethroned him.

The way of the Peace of Ghent, which ended the war of 1812, was paved hy an offer of the Czar to act as mediator, though it was rejected. In rejecting it, Lord Castlereagh letit be known that he was willing to negotiate directly with the United States.

On the death of Czar Nicholas 1., his successor, Alexander 11., announced to the Courts of Europe his desire that the Crimean war should end, and this is the nearest approach to a parallel with Germany’s action to-day., A peace conference was held in Vienna, but in three, months it was broken oif, and the war.-resumed. The war went on until Austria, a neutral Power, threatened to join the Allies unless the Czar accepted her ultimatum.

The -war of Italy, France, and Austria, in 1859, was terminated in a surprising fashion by an armistice agreed on personally between Napoleon 111. and Franz Josef, just as the French and Italian armies were in the; full tide of success. , ’ ’

The terms of peace between the United States and the Confederacy were arranged by generals in the field.

In the war between Austria, Prussia, and Italy, in 1866, Franz Josef, after his defeats at Koniggratz and elsewhere, informed Napoleon 111. of his willingness to cede Venetia to Italy and his desire that Napoleon be mediator. Napoleon accepted’, .Bismarck drafted the terms. In 1870 the French Government which succeeded Napoleon 111. asked first for an armistice, then for peace, but the requests were declined and the siege of Paris began. After the surrender of Paris the Germans cor seated to an armistice, to permit the election of a National Assembly which it could recognise. .The Russo-Turkish "War was. cut short by England’s threat to enter it. Russia arranged an armistice immediately, and negotiated the Treaty of San Stefano directly with Turkey. England, backed by Franco and, Austria, refused to recognise it, and the Congress of Berlin was summoned) but before it met the Czar had negotiated a secret treaty with England, embodying most of the agreements subsequent, ly made there. , When China was wholly-defeated arid the Japanese armies about to march on Pekin, the empire sent Li Hung Chang with proper credentials to Shimonoseki. and the treaty was at once drawn r’l

iiussia, pu„ un end to the TurooGrecian War of 1897 by peremptorily ordering an armistice iust as the victorious Turks were marching on Central Greece. The Spanish-Americon War of 1898 closed when Spain, on July 26th, rinada overtures to the United States through Gambon, the French Ambassador at Washington. The Boor War ended in, an unprecedented way. The members of the Transvaal Government rode into Middlehurg and requested to bo sent to Lord Kitchener to arrange peace terms with him. * BLo met them, but held that because of the peculiar character of the Boer army the men in "the field would have to be consulted If any i assurance of peace was to be given. Stoyn, De Wot. and Do la Hey went to the commandoes, explained the situation to them, and each body in the field chose two delegates to meet at Vereeniging and decide the matter by vote.

President Roosevelt brought the Russo-Japanese War to an end by sending, on June Bth. 1905, identical dispatches to both Governments urging that they enter into peace negotiations. ■on armistice in the , first Balkan war was ended by a breaking off of negotiations. Hie Powers then (agreed upon terms and offered mediation. A second armistice was signed, but Montenegro would not join it. and went on with the war. She captured Scutari, but Austria took it away from her, and the second pence conference, which was successful.' met in London.