<P> Nevertheless, by the end of the war the Allies realized they had made contradictory agreements with other Nations, especially regarding Central Europe and the Middle - East . In the meetings of the "Big Four", in which Orlando's powers of diplomacy were inhibited by his lack of English, the Great powers were only willing to offer Trentino to the Brenner, the Dalmatian port of Zara, the island of Lagosta and a couple of small German colonies . All other territories were promised to other nations and the great powers were worried about Italy's imperial ambitions; Wilson, in particular, was a staunch supporter of Yugoslav rights on Dalmatia against Italy and despite the Treaty of London which he did not recognize . As a result of this, Orlando left the conference in a rage . This simply favored Britain and France, which divided among themselves the former Ottoman and German territories in Africa . </P> <P> In Italy, the discontent was relevant: Irredentism (see: irredentismo) claimed Fiume and Dalmatia as Italian lands; many felt the Country had taken part in a meaningless war without getting any serious benefits . This idea of a "mutilated victory" (vittoria mutilata) was the reason which led to the Impresa di Fiume ("Fiume Exploit"). On September 12, 1919, the nationalist poet Gabriele d'Annunzio led around 2,600 troops from the Royal Italian Army (the Granatieri di Sardegna), nationalists and irredentists, into a seizure of the city, forcing the withdrawal of the inter-Allied (American, British and French) occupying forces . </P> <P> The "mutilated victory" (vittoria mutilata) became an important part of Italian Fascism propaganda . </P> <P> The Republic of China had been one of the Allies; during the war, it had sent thousands of labourers to France . At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, the Chinese delegation called for an end to Western imperialistic institutions in China, but was rebuffed . China requested at least the formal restoration of its territory of Jiaozhou Bay, under German colonial control since 1898 . But the western Allies rejected China's request, instead granting transfer to Japan of all of Germany's pre-war territory and rights in China . Subsequently, China did not sign the Treaty of Versailles, instead signing a separate peace treaty with Germany in 1921 . </P>

What was the major western power after world war i