The Inquiry was a study group established in September 1917 byWoodrow Wilson to prepare materials for the peace negotiations followingWorld War I. The group, composed of around 150 academics, was directed by the presidential adviserEdward House and supervised directly by the philosopherSidney Mezes. The Heads of Research wereWalter Lippmann and his successorIsaiah Bowman. The group first worked out of theNew York Public Library but later worked from the offices of theAmerican Geographical Society of New York once Bowman had joined the group.[1]
Mezes's senior colleagues were the geographerIsaiah Bowman, the historian and librarianArchibald Cary Coolidge, the historianJames Shotwell, and the lawyerDavid Hunter Miller.[1] Progressive confidants who were consulted on staffing but did not contribute directly to the administration or reports of the group includedJames Truslow Adams,Louis Brandeis,Abbott Lawrence Lowell, andWalter Weyl.
Twenty-one members of The Inquiry, later integrated into the largerAmerican Commission to Negotiate Peace, traveled to theParis Peace Conference in January 1919[2] and accompanied Wilson aboardUSSGeorge Washington to France.
Also included in the group were such academics asPaul Monroe, a professor of history atColumbia University and a key member of the Research Division who drew on his experience in thePhilippines to assess the educational needs of developing areas such asAlbania,Turkey, andCentral Africa,[3] andFrank A. Golder, a history professor fromWashington State University, who specialized in the diplomatic history of Russia and wrote papers onUkraine,Lithuania,Poland, andRussia.[4]
The Inquiry provided various recommendations for the countries which it surveyed. Specifically, the recommendations discussed the ideal borders for various countries as well as various other conditions that were felt necessary to achieve a lasting peace free of tensions.
The Inquiry recommended thatAlsace–Lorraine be returned to France, that parts ofSaarland that France had controlled before 1815 be returned to that country, and that theRhineland be demilitarized.[5] It was recommended that Belgium's neutral status be abolished and that Belgium be allowed to annex territory in theMaastricht region for strategic reasons and in theMalmedy region for ethnic reasons.[6] It was recommended that Luxembourg either be annexed to Belgium or be restored to independence.[7] Meanwhile, the Inquiry recommended that there be aplebiscite innorthern Schleswig, with the area transferred from Germany to Denmark if the region's people preferred.[8]
The Inquiry suggested that if it was possible for Russia to become a genuine federal and democratic state, theBaltic states (with the possible exception ofLithuania) andUkraine should be encouraged to reunify with Russia because of the belief that it would best serve the economic interests of everyone involved.[9] Meanwhile, if the Bolsheviks maintained their control of Russia, the Inquiry suggested that the independence of the Baltic states and Ukraine be recognized, with a referendum on reunion with Russia at some future better time.[9] The borders that the Inquiry proposed for Ukraine, Latvia, and Estonia were very similar to their 1991 borders. Indeed, the Inquiry even suggested thatCrimea be given to Ukraine.[10]
The Inquiry expressed support for Finnish independence and also expressed a desire, never realized, thatÅland be transferred from Finland to Sweden.[11] It was recommended that an independent Poland be created, encompassing all indisputably Polish areas, that Poland and Lithuania unite if possible, and that Poland "be given secure and unhampered access to the Baltic [Sea]" through aPolish Corridor.[12] While acknowledging that it would be unfortunate to separateEast Prussia, with its 1,600,000 Germans, from the rest of Germany, the Inquiry considered that to be better than denying Poland, a nation of 20,000,000 people, access to the sea. In addition, the Inquiry expressed confidence that Germany could easily be assured railroad transit across the Polish Corridor.[12] As for Poland's eastern borders, the Inquiry kept the door open to Polish annexation of easternGalicia and Belarusian-majority territories to its north.[12]
In the Caucasus, the Inquiry suggested an independent Armenia in the borders contemplated forWilsonian Armenia, and provisional independence for both Georgia and Azerbaijan.[13] In addition, the idea of a future union of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan (in the form of aTranscaucasian Federation) was discussed and viewed favorably by the Inquiry.[13]
It was suggested that Czechoslovakia be created out of the Czech-majority and Slovak-majority areas of the former Austria-Hungary.[14] In addition, it was suggested that Czechoslovakia include theSudetenland,Subcarpathian Ruthenia, and more than 500,000 Hungarians (Magyars) south of Slovakia.[14]
The Inquiry advised that Romania be allowed to annex all ofBessarabia, the Romanian-majority part ofBukovina, all ofTransylvania, theRomanian-majority areas in Hungary proper, and about two thirds of theBanat.[15] In addition, the Inquiry suggested having Romania cedeSouthern Dobruja to Bulgaria, which ultimately occurred in 1940.[15] Meanwhile, it was suggested that an "independent federated Yugo-Slav state" be created out of Serbia, Montenegro, and the Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian territories of the former Austria-Hungary.[16]
The Inquiry acknowledged that theBrenner Pass, which had been promised to Italy in the 1915Treaty of London, would give Italy the best strategic frontier, but it recommended a line somewhat further south, to reduce the number of ethnic Germans in Italy while still giving Italy a frontier more defensible than the prewar border.[17] In addition, it was suggested that Italy be allowed to annexIstria, with its many ethnic Italians, but not Italian-majority Fiume, given that city's importance to Yugoslavia.[18] The Inquiry also advised that Italy endits occupation of Rhodes and the Dodecanese Islands and give the islands to Greece, in accordance with the wishes of their inhabitants, something that was not done until 1947, afterWorld War II.[18] The Inquiry recommended thatItalian Libya "be given a hinterland adequate for access to the Sudan and its trade."[18]
It was recommended that German Austria, later renamed theRepublic of Austria, be established as an independent state and be given an outlet for trade at Trieste, Fiume, or both cities.[19] Meanwhile, it was suggested that Hungary be given independence with borders similar to those it ultimately received by theTreaty of Trianon and that it to be given an outlet for trade at either Trieste or Fiume as well as "rights of unrestricted commerce on the lowerDanube."[20] The Inquiry advised that the German-majorityBurgenland remain part of Hungary to avoid "disturb[ing] long-established institutions," at least until it became clear that the people there indeed desired union with Austria.[21]
No specific recommendations were given for Albania, given the extremely complex nature of the situation there.[22]
The Inquiry suggested that Constantinople become aninternationalized state and that the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles be permanently open to ships and commercial vessels of all countries, with international guarantees to uphold that status.[23] Meanwhile, it was advised that an independent Turkish Anatolian state be created, to be superintended by one of theGreat Powers under aLeague of Nations mandate.[24]
Also, the Inquiry suggested that independent Mesopotamian and Syrian states be created under a League of Nations mandate, with the mandates awarded to powers to be named later.[25] The proposed Syrian state would consist of territories that are now part of Lebanon, northern Jordan, and western Syria. Meanwhile, the proposed Mesopotamian state would consist of territories now part of Iraq and northeastern Syria.[25] In addition, it was advised that the option to create an Arab confederation, to include Mesopotamia and Syria, be kept open.[25]
As for Palestine, it was advised that an independent state under aBritish mandate be created.[26] Jews would be invited to settle in Palestine if the protection of the personal, religious, and property rights of the non-Jewish population were assured, with the state's holy sites under the protection of the League of Nations.[26] The League was to recognize Palestine as a Jewish state as soon as it was in fact.[26]
As forArabia, it was suggested that theKing of Hejaz not be given assistance to impose his rule over unwilling Arab tribes.[27]
Some of the members later established theCouncil on Foreign Relations, which is independent of the government.[28]
The Inquiry's papers are currently stored at theNational Archives, though some of their papers (in many cases, duplicates) are stored at theYale Archives.[29]
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