The year is 1919. The world is trying to reach peace after the Great War which only ended last November. Great nations like the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and Russia have been meeting to deal punishment to Germany and the other Central Powers. World leaders at this time had many questions that civilians wanted answers immediately. How would we rebuild? How do we prevent another Great War? Is it time for a change? These questions and more needed to be answered. Countries needed to figure out how to organize and govern in this new interdependent world.
To figure out how to govern in this new post-Great War world, we first must look at what happened before 1919. On July 28, 1914 the Great War. Countries like Great Britain,
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France, and Russia along with other countries formed the Allies.
This group of countries fought the Central Powers which was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. While these countries battled across Europe, the United States stayed home practicing the stance of neutrality while reaping the economic benefits of war. Doing business with both sides of the war, by April 1917 United States’ private banks had lent $2.3 billion to the Allies and $27 million to Germany. Later that month though, the United States entered the war. Though the United States tried to stay out of the war, Wilson eventually recognized the need of United States assistance in Europe. On April 2, 1917 President Wilson addressed Congress about going to war against the Central Powers. The Senate voted 82-6, and the House voted 373-50 which catapulted the United States into the war.
On November 11, 1918 the Central Powers surrendered ending the Great War. Empires like Germany and Austria-Hungary had fallen, even the Russian Empire, a member of the Allies couldn’t prevent the fall of it’s empire. Countries laid barren, burnt, and destroyed. Some countries like France demanded that Germany pay for the damages around Europe, but Germany was also powerless after the war. Only the United States was
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able to stand after the war and believed that it was its duty to fix Europe, and the world. President Wilson had a vision of a postwar world of open economic access, growing American economic might, and international cooperation led by the United States would ultimately bring prosperity and development, peace and liberal democracy to most people. He attempted this through his Fourteen Points. The Fourteen Points are fourteen actions that must be followed by the United States and countries around the world in order to prevent not only another Great War, but to also prevent the spread of Communism. One of the most important point of the Fourteen Points is the fourteenth point, “A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.” what Wilson is talking about is his vision of the League of Nations. The League of Nations was suppose to be a group of nations from around the world to serve as a jury to vote and decide on what was good for the world, and try to defuse situations before they escalate to war. Though it was a popular idea, created by the Unites States’ President, the United States didn’t join the League of Nations. On January 18, 1919 the Versailles Conference opened for the Allies to begin talks about Germany and the Central Powers’ terms of surrender. France pushed heavily to severely punish Germany for the damages it caused to France, and have those damages paid for by Germany. On June 28, 1919 the treaty was signed ending the Great War. Now looking at what happened over the years of the Great War we can figure out how to govern and organize a country back in 1919.
If we were located in Europe, most of Europe had been destroyed by the Germans. Your county probably has no food due to your crops being burnt by the enemy, and you business buildings and factories are probably rubble too. I would probably look to the United States for assistance. President Wilson and the United States were attempting to bring America more into the world scene, attempting to become a world economic leader. Doing business with the United States, investing in their stock market, allowing American businesses to come overseas and set up factories in my country in exchange for economic help would be a great way in rebuilding the postwar economy. Accepting President Wilson’s Fourteen Points is also another good idea on getting on America’s goodside in exchange for postwar rebuilding. I would also try to join the League of Nations. Being a member of the League would give my country security for the future. I would have somewhere to go if my country is in danger, and I would have allies to assist me. Or maybe it’s time for change in my country. After the Great War a couple of revolutions took place, two examples are the Bolshevik Revolution and the Vietnamese Revolution. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia took place near the end of the Great War, it actually caused Russia to drop out of the war early. The revolution was lead by Vladimir
Lenin of the Communist Party. The Communists defeated the Russian Empire entering a new phase for the country. Switching to Communism would gain us allies in Russia, but we would probably lose the support of the United States. The Vietnamese Revolution on the other hand wasn’t a bloody revolution. Vietnam, a part of French Indochina had sent a letter to the United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing on June 18, 1919, it was the Vietnam “Demands of the Annamite [Vietnamese] People,” The Vietnamese people looking for independence from France and needed the United States assistance. The document held a list of demands and freedoms for the Vietnamese people so they could have an independent country of their own. After the Great War, organizing and governing a country in this new interdependent world is difficult. Rebuilding after the war, all the damages, lost lives, and scattered citizens would be tough. I would look to the United States for help. President Wilson had so much planned for the United States and the world, trying to be a part of that which includes rebuilding money, and future security would be a perfect place to start. I would also have to be on the lookout for revolutions. Many people may believe that my government is unfit to rule after dragging my country through this war. I would have to be careful and try to address all problems that rise up.
To keep with the “true neutrality” the United States initially refused to aid either side with supplies or economic assistance. Once the battles became entrenched and a “war of attrition” began, the European nations continued to look toward the United States for aid. As American financial institutions and exporters sought guidance from Wilson’s administration they received a different answer: “short term loans and credits by American financial institutions to belligerents in connection with trade were acceptable” (Zieger, 11). Americans could not over look the potential economic boost that could be achieved by supplying the European nations with food, supplies and weapons orders being requested.
On April 2nd 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the United States of America, ??went before Congress and called for a declaration of war. Both the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of going to war with Germany.?# This was an act that led to much resistance among the American people. Not four months earlier the American people re-elected President Wilson, partly because of his success in keeping the United States out of this European war. However, a series of events, such as the Germans continuing submarine warfare and the attacks on five American ships, led President Wilson to sever diplomatic relations with Germany and send the United States into what would be labeled as World War I. As a result of the war the
When World War I broke out in Europe, Woodrow Wilson announced that the United States would stay out of European affairs and remain neutral. Wilson was aware that the United States had no interest in the matters that did not directly affect the interests of American citizens. He hoped that the United States would remain neutral and continue to trade with warring nations. The American view of neutrality meant we were entitled to safely and freely trade with either side at war as long as it was out in the open seas. The United States hoped to stay out of the way because war was viewed as wasteful, irrational, and immoral.
After the end of World War II, the United States went through many changes. Most of the changes were for the better, but some had an adverse effect on certain population centers. Many programs, agencies and policies were created to transform American society and government.
American Society on the Change during the Post-World War Years. After World War II, Americans experienced a time of rapid social change. American soldiers were discharged and returned home from the battlefields, hoping to find work and to get on with their lives. Marriage rates increased dramatically after the war.
On April 4, 1917 President Wilson asked Congress for the U.S. to enter the war. The U.S. declared war on April 6, 1917.
When War broke out in Europe in 1914 Wilson determined it was in the best interest of the United States to stay out of the conflict. In spite of the fact that president Wilson hoped to stay out of the war and wanted peace, in mid 1917 German submarines started attacking U.S. dealerships. On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, stating,“The world must be made safe for democracy.(History.com Staff)” In the following year and a half the United States constructed a army of 4 million men by enrollment, and sent 2 million men abroad to France, and joined the whole populace behind the war effort.
On 28 July 1914, the war began with the Allies and Central Powers in Europe. The Allied Powers primarily consisted of Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and later the US and Italy. The Central Powers consisted of Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
The League of Nations had officially been set in motion on January 10, 1920. However, the idea of an international peace keeping organization was brought forth far before this. For it was the President of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson, who delivered his famous Fourteen Poi...
...Wilson took on the persona of the leader of a “righteous war”, and with much support from the people approached Congress asking for a declaration of war (James and Wells, 26). While not everyone was supportive of the war, the vast majority was extremely pro-war. Congress passed the declaration of war against Germany primarily based on its unrestricted usage of U-boats against American ships. Thus through actions taken by the Germans, the United States would begin its involvement in the Great War.
In addition, having lost the war, the humiliated Germans were forced by the Allies to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that officially ended World War I. According to the harsh terms of the treaty, Germany had to hand over many of its richest industrial territories to the victors, and was made to pay reparations to the Allied countries it devastated during the war. Germany lost its pride, prestige, wealth, power, and the status of being one of Europe's greatest nations. (Resnick p. 15)
President Woodrow Wilson had hopes for a New World. For Wilson, the war had been fought against autocracy. A peace settlement based on liberal-democratic ideals, he hoped, would get rid of the foundations of war. None of Wilson's hopes seemed better than the idea of self-determination -- the right of a people to have its own state, free of any foreign domination. In particular, this goal meant the return of Alsace and Lorraine to France which had been lost to Germany in the Franco-Prussian war, the creation of an independent Poland, the changing of the frontiers of Italy to include Austrian lands where Italians lived, and an opportunity for Slavs of the Austro- Hungarian Empire to form their own states.
The America in 1919, Had a president who was really focused on peace for the United States. The President was Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president. After the war was declared over Wilson went to Paris get peace for the country. In Paris he helped create The League of Nations. Here he also helped Shape the treaty of Versailles. For his effort to form The League of Nations, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 (Gordon). Clearly Wilson’s ideas for peace were respected by the world.
World War II was one of the most deadly wars we know in history, having as many as sixty million casualties, most of whom were civilians. It impacted a lot of countries, almost all the world, which is why the name is given. This war impacted many countries in the world, and damaged almost all of the countries involved greatly. It also led to the downfall of Western European countries as world powers, leaving it to the Soviet Union, and the United States. The war started in 1939 and ended in 1945, with the invasion of Poland and the Axis surrender, respectively. It changed the economy and the growth of big countries, including Germany, Great Britain, United States, Japan, Russia and France. Aside from this, Jews were greatly influenced too. They were damaged, but then gifted.
It has been almost a century since the first Paris Peace Conference was hold, but even until now, it is a popular yet also controversial event in the history of the world. The Paris Peace Conference took place in 1919 involving more than 1,000 representatives from over 30 nations. The results of the Conference are five treaties regarding terms that, according to the Conference, shall prevent any upcoming conflicts among nations. Although World War II started only after 15 years, nonetheless, the treaties did function as a buffer between countries. Although many resolutions were discussed, the negotiation of the Conference revolves around four main topics, reparation from the previous war losses or limitations on the main Central Power, Germany, self-recognition, President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the annexation of land.