Australia’s Prime Minister during the First World War and a leading figure in the ‘British world’, William Morris ‘Billy’ Hughes secured vital concessions for his country and the British Empire at the Paris Peace Conferences.

Representatives of 32 nations attended the Conferences of 1919–1923; their common aim – to achieve a lasting peace – culminated in the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations, but what of the circumstances and aims of each nation? Focusing on individual countries’ delegates, this series examines what the representatives brought to the conference table, what they achieved in negotiation and the consequences of the peace treaties for their country.