19191920

1919–1920 refers to the two-year period immediately after the end of World War I. It was characterized by diplomatic settlements, political realignments, and social changes that shaped the interwar era.

In 1919 the Paris Peace Conference produced the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the war with Germany and laid out reparations, territorial changes, and military restrictions. The process also contributed to the broader creation of the League of Nations, a framework for international cooperation. In Germany, the abdication of the Kaiser led to the establishment of the Weimar Republic, while other nations redrew borders and formed new governments across Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1920 the Covenant of the League of Nations took effect, giving the organization its first formal role in international affairs, though major powers such as the United States did not join. Postwar treaties with Austria, Hungary, and other states were finalized during this period. Domestically, the United States ratified the 19th Amendment, granting women suffrage, and began enforcing Prohibition under the 18th Amendment. The period also continued the aftereffects of the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic and witnessed rising concerns about radicalism in many countries.

Overall, 1919–1920 marked a transition from wartime mobilization to peacetime diplomacy and social change, laying groundwork for the interwar order, the development of international institutions, and ongoing debates over governance, civil liberties, and nationalism.