Rhetorical Analysis Of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

Violent Peace

Woodrow Wilson gave his speech “Fourteen Points” on January 8, 1918 – nine months after the US had entered World War I, ‘the war to end all wars.’ Within his speech, Woodrow lays out fourteen points that he believes will create world peace, giving a goal to the US for fighting through the bloodshed. Wilson, as 28th president of the US, won his presidential race under one main campaign: he was a man of peace. He won his reelection in 1916, two years after he had given his previous term’s ‘proclamation of neutrality’ (Leavell 56). As 1917 came, events such as the Zimmermann letter and the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 ( Bailey 54) gave Wilson no choice but to declare war on Germany on April 4th, 1917. Wilson alludes to such events in his speech: If he wants to keep the faith

of his people, he cannot appear to have changed his policies as a man of peace. He still stands by his campaign, but the war is the only way to create this peace. Woodrow Wilson uses emotional and unifying appeals to justify the United States as a peace-bringing power in World War I, and himself as a president fit to lead such a great country.
Wilson used ethos through the propaganda technique ‘bandwagoning’ to connect the US and the other Allies powers as peace-loving nations. When he makes a claim about the way peace should be achieved, he draws in all of the allied countries, not just the US. By stating claims using general language such as “Every nation whose purposes are consistent with justice and the peace of the world” (Wilson) and “Nothing peculiar to ourselves…world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation, which, like our own, wishes to live its own life,” (Wilson), Wilson connects the US and his views of their reasons for fighting to all of the countries on their side. The US is further connected to the winning side by the claim that “every peace loving nation” is on their side, and that their cause is “nothing peculiar to [themselves].” For when it comes to world peace, “all the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest.” (Wilson) He clearly puts the US on the winning, heroic side of the war, effectively using ethos and creating a reputation of mercy and justice fighters for his country.
During his campaign, Woodrow Wilson had one main point: he was a man of peace. In his speech, he makes sure that America understands he has not changed, promoting ethos for his presidential leadership. By using ‘peace-loving’ or just ‘peace’ innumerable times in his speech, he shows his belief that the war is just “a process of peace” (Wilson). Wilson reflects on the reasons for fighting the war, claiming “the program of the world’s peace, therefore, is our program.” Because the US is for the world, “the program of the world’s peace is our [the US’s] program.” Finally, Wilson drills the point home that the US is involved in the war “..but only because we wish the right to prevail and desire a just and stable peace such as can be secured only by removing the chief provocations of war” (Wilson). The only way to get rid of a peace-ending war is to fight it and win it. Wilson manifests that the war is a way to secure peace throughout his speech, promoting ethos as a leader who is as interested in the wellbeing of his country as he always had been.
Events prefacing World War I greatly upset the American public, and Wilson calls on the emotions to support his war effort. In his introduction, phrases such as ‘absolutely open’ and ‘no secret understandings of any kind’ would undoubtedly pull feelings of hatred from Americans about the Zimmermann letter: a letter written by Germany for Mexico, inviting them to invade the US; intercepted by the British and given to the United States (Don 73). Diving further into German aggression, their actions are considered “Violations of right” and ”touched us [the US] to the quick and made the life of our on people impossible” (Wilson). The ‘violations of right’ are almost certainly referring to the German’s tactic of complete submarine warfare. The war tactic sunk the Lusitania, causing 118 American deaths: certainly making ‘the life of our own people impossible.’ The event caused grief and unrestrained anger, and Wilson probes the wound to remind the Americans of the purpose of the war. Wilson recognizes the anger his people have for Germany, and uses irony to subtly agree with them. He says that “We grudge her no achievement or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise such as have made her record very bright and very enviable.” This is irony because Germany is a country losing a world war, and an enemy against Wilson’s beloved peace: the US does not envy her. They do not wish to have the same ‘bright’ or ‘enviable’ record she does. At this point in the war, Germany is already in the ground. Wilson uses pathos to bring emotions of anger and grief, but also uses the emotions to back his reasons to get involved in the war.
Wilson uses strong diction and glittering generalities to establish the United States as a merciful power of the war. He uses propaganda to put America above those who do not share their same views. He uses the technique ‘name calling’ when stating that it is “Clear to the view of every public man whose thoughts do not still linger in an age that is dead and gone” (Wilson). By doing this, he paints the opposing view as one of old and stale times. Wilson also makes sure that within his points, he never states that he, or his country, would want anything except “sincere welcome[s]” and “absolute freedom” (Wilson). America is merciful and forgiving. He uses glittering generalities such as ‘purposes consistent with justice’ and ‘free, open minded’ to further back his image of the US. Finally, Wilson’s concluding paragraph calls upon the integrity of Americans, that we as a country “could act upon no other principle; and to the vindication of the principle they are ready to devote their lives, their honor, and everything they possess.” Wilson uses generalities and language to beef up America and make them proud of their war efforts.
The logical portion of Wilson’s speech lies in the “Fourteen Points” themselves. One reason is Wilson’s view on laws of military weaponry, that “armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety,” meaning that if the world will achieve peace then countries’ gun power must be limited. There is logic behind the evacuation of Belgium, for “without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law if forever impaired” (Wilson). The logic is with Belgium still under evil grips, nothing will be right. Wilson supports the creation of the League of Nations, “for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike” (Wilson). He believes if a group of powerful nations forms, they will be able to defend the smaller and more vulnerable. The logic is simply backing up the points of peace.
The speech “Fourteen Points” relies most heavily on ethos to get its point across.

Wilson uses emotion and logic to back up his spin on American credibility. He uses logic of peace to create a merciful, heroic power in the war, and uses emotion to credit the cause of joining. He not only tries to increase the credibility of the country, but of himself by proving he still endorses peace. With the lens of ethos, Wilson’s speech is highly successful. He managed to create an image in the American mind of a land that heals and saves. The people he addressed believed in the war and came out victorious. However, Wilson’s fourteen points were all but ignored by European countries. He asked to end colonial claims, yet the Ottoman Empire was split to England and France (Don 103). He wanted the European countries to be merciful to the losing opponents and let them heal, but Germany ended in 35 billion dollars of debt (Don 103).The League of Nations was formed, but it was overall ineffective in times to come. Woodrow Wilson was correct, however, in his points – if the European nations had decided to follow them, they may have been capable of staying out of the next conflict: World War

II.