Question: Why the allies would impose the Sevres Treaty but can't enforce it?

As the question states, Why would the allies, of whom all were either tired or too much in debt from World War I (UK, France, Italy) or wasn't exactly capable of maintaining their new-gotten gains (Armenia) tried to fight to impose the Treaty of Sevres? From what I've come to read, it seemed as if the Treaty itself was doomed to fail from the beginning.
 
Arrogance in part. There was also a pre 1914 or 19th Century attitude that once military power had been demonstrated the governments or leaders concerned would fall into line. Unrealisitc certainly, but in the corridors of power in London & Paris it existed.

The Arrogance part included unrealistic expectations for the ability to project military & political power into remote corners. In hindsight it is easy to see Commonwealth or French regiments cant be influential in Armenia, but from the perspective of Clemenceu at the time this was not clear at all. The Ottoman Army had disbanded, so it wa thought for a moment the flag could be carried to any town square desired.
 

jahenders

Banned
Largely true, coupled with some cynicism. It's kind of like the US "peace dividend" theory a decade or so back, "We're so clearly superior that everyone will cooperate somewhat in the future."

On a cynical note, some Wallie leaders might have known they couldn't/wouldn't enforce it for an extended period of time, but thought it might be good to shame the Germans initially and then delay a time wherein they might again be a threat. That, obviously, didn't work out so well in the end, but it's not a totally unreasonable view at the time.

Likewise, governments routinely pass laws all the time that they can't realistically enforce. The threat of prosecution does have some impact on those activities.

Arrogance in part. There was also a pre 1914 or 19th Century attitude that once military power had been demonstrated the governments or leaders concerned would fall into line. Unrealisitc certainly, but in the corridors of power in London & Paris it existed.

The Arrogance part included unrealistic expectations for the ability to project military & political power into remote corners. In hindsight it is easy to see Commonwealth or French regiments cant be influential in Armenia, but from the perspective of Clemenceu at the time this was not clear at all. The Ottoman Army had disbanded, so it wa thought for a moment the flag could be carried to any town square desired.
 
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