The power shift that occurred in Europe at the end of World War I was the decline of traditional empires and the rise of new nation-states. The war's aftermath saw the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires, giving way to the establishment of independent countries based on the principle of self-determination. Furthermore, the Treaty of Versailles imposed new boundaries and governance structures, fundamentally altering the political landscape. This shift heightened tensions and eventually contributed to the conditions that led to World War II.