Treaty of Valletta

The Treaty of Valletta, signed in 1920 by Italy, Siam, Japan, Nejd, Egypt, Venezuela, Jamaica, Belize, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Spain, Ireland and Iran to conclude the Cairo War. This treaty would heavily punish the British and severely reduce their Empire, and forced the British to give reparations to Spain, Ireland and Iran.

## **Backround**

In late May of 1920, the British ended up surrendering to all nations participating in the Cairo War, as unrest was growing throughout the remainder of their empire, reaching colonies that were untouched by enemy forces, like Nigeria or British India. While the pleaded for several months for a condition surrender, no country would hear of it. Major ports, like Malta and Suez were seized, while Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas were embroiled in separatist violence. In Valletta in Italian-occupied Malta, delegates from Siam, Japan, Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas, Italy, various newly independent Arab nations, Argentina, Spain, Iran, Israel and Afghanistan met in the city to discuss surrender terms. While people expected the terms to drag on due to the amount of nations that met together against Britain, there weren't any squabbles, except with the territory of Israel and Malaysia, but they were soon solved by the various countries, not wanting to create further discontent, but not every nation was going to be content with its outcome.

The British surrendered just in time, as they feared if they didn’t, a total collapse of their empire was imminent. Unrest was growing in India, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, while during the war the British had no way of reaching and reinforcing their rule without the Suez Canal.

## **Terms**

The terms, ratified and finalized on October 10th, are as follows:

*Britain recognizes the full independence of Jamaica, Belize, and all of Ireland, as well as removing any claims to any of these lands.*

*Venezuela is allowed full jurisdiction over British Guyana, as well as Trinidad, the Winward Islands, and Leeward Islands.*

*The Falkland Islands and South Georgia Islands are given to Buenos Aires.*

*Britain recognizes full independence for Egypt, and the Egyptian nationalization of the Suez Canal Zone.*

*Egypt annexes all of Sudan except minor border towns as well as Kassala, going to Italy.*

*Spain gains Gibraltar, as well as Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia as compensation for the decimation of the Spanish navy caused by the Royal Navy.*

*Italy annexes Malta, the Libyan desert region they claimed, Cyprus, as well as North West Kenya and part of British Somaliland.*

*Nejd is awarded all of British Hejaz and the Trucial States.*

*British Syria, Yemen, Oman, Israel and Araqa are recognized as independent nations by all delegates, including London.*

*Ethiopia annexes the rest of British Somaliland, gaining an ocean port while also taking several border towns from British Kenya and Sudan.*

*Afghanistan annexes Quetta and Peshawar.*

*Siam annexes all claimed Malaysian as well as all disputed territory with Burma.*

*The remainder of mainland Malaysia is reorganized under the wing of Bangkok with limited political control given to the people of the colony.*

*The city of Singapore is fully demilitarized despite being under Malaysian (Siamese) occupation. It is to be a free city, with no one country controlling trade that passes through the Malacca Strait.*

*Iran annexes British Balochistan.*

*Britain will need to pay $500 million USD in total to Iran for compensation of London’s exploitation of Persian oil’, to Spain for the decimation of their naval fleet, to Ireland to reimburse the damages caused during the Irish War of Independence.*

## **Aftermath**

### **Global implications**

The Treaty of Valletta is one of the defining events that changed the 20th century. The harshness of the treaty with its terms against the British Empire would be the ultimate catalyst for the fall of the Empire by the early 1930s, while mainland Britain couldn't recover its economy from the enormous amount of debt London was in, and similarly to the collapse of British Scotland came the rise of National Populism in the country, while the defeat of the British resulted in a rise of African separatism that France, Spain and Portugal wouldn't be able to suppress.

### **The Question of Israeli Independence**

Another issue that wouldn't be solved would be the status of Israel. When the status of the country came up during the discussions, the non-Arab delegates frankly didn't want to choose a side between Israel and the larger amount of Arab states that gained independence, mostly Syria, which claimed Israeli land. The main reason Arab states agreed to a permanent ceasefire with Israel was because months before, fighting between Israel and Syria stopped. While Syria was backed by the whole of the Arab world, and hoped to gain Israel diplomatically, these efforts went no where, and in the end Israel was secured as an independent state.

### **Violence in Ireland**

Irish nationalists celebrated the Treaty of Valletta as a unifier of the Irish Island, including the long claimed territory of Northern Ireland. The split between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland however, was bigger than anyone could solve through peace and diplomacy. Northern Ireland never wanted to be a part of mainland Ireland, a problem that only deepened as the Irish occupation continued. Unable to come to a compromise, Irish Unionists rebelled and declared independence, and practically pleaded with London to send aid to the North, which the UK refused.

Without international support, the Republic of Northern Ireland collapsed and the Unionist cause was suppressed for the time being.