Wilson’s 14 Points: An Idealistic Proposal or Influential Catalyst For World Order?
The Great War Period was a very defining moment in International Relations; not simply due to the amount of bloodshed that occurred but also due to the dynamism and progress in alliances, interactions and methods of warfare. The Fourteen Points that were delivered by the United States’ President, Woodrow Wilson, to his congress toward the end of World War 1 can be marked to be one of the first exertions of effort to prosper peace within the world climate. Many critics argue that the Fourteen Points acted as a catalyst for the creation of The Treaty of Versailles; a negotiation that officially marked the end of World War 1 in June of 1919. I beg to differ from
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these critics, in that there are many aspects of Woodrow Wilson’s ideology of January 1918 that failed to be delivered in the script of the Treaty. The involvement of America in the events during World War 1 was extremely limited.
In 1914, America declared that they would be completely neutral during World War 1 despite the fact that they were pushed to take part 3 years later due to nuclear and submarine warfare usage by Germany, in the interest of promoting safety for the international system. Even though there was some involvement of the United States, the ideology of Wilson remained extremely consistent throughout the entire programme whereby peace was looked upon as the most favorable option not simply for the Americas, but the world as a system as well.
This eventually led to the creation of Wilson’s Fourteen Points. Wilson’s Fourteen Points was a reflection of his ideology, a given set of “rules” that would aid the world in sustaining peace and preventing the futility of war from overcoming the international system again. Each of the Fourteen Points allows us to interpret the priorities that the government of the United States had during that particular period in
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time. The majority of the fourteen points are extremely descriptive in evoking awareness and reducing the dispute with regard to territory. The reason this was so important to address during the period of the Great War was due to the fact that any perpetual plan to gain land in possession of another power was seen as a hostile and violence-prompting action. The second set of the Fourteen Points that we can create include those of general world order. These include points such as “absolute freedom of navigation upon seas” and reduction of “armaments.” All of the points that follow this theme are with regard to restoring world order. Wilson, here, sees the potential advantage of world peace and a common international system and thereby promotes the interdependency of nations by establishing the fact that these hostile actions must not be performed. The final point, which in itself is separate from the rest, calls for the erection of a “League of Nations.” This shows the willingness of America to actively contribute to a forum whereby nations are able to appropriately debate and voice issues that impact the international systems. Critics often say that these fourteen points were idealistic in nature. Perhaps, it was the perfect world that Wilson had imagined could be created with the right amount of alliance-backing and world awareness. The question then, does not become whether the Fourteen Points were able to achieve what they were set out to establish but rather once given the opportunity, such as the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, was this idealistic standard given justice. The statement “we have no jealousy for German greatness” was aired in Congress during the presentation of the Fourteen Points, however, perhaps this wasn’t a consideration that held similar viewpoints with other nations. The Treaty of Versailles has commonly been associated with the term “Dictated Peace.” The reason for this can be attributed to the sharp contrast between The Fourteen Point peace view and the Treaty’s direct way of placing blame upon Germany and demanding them to compensate all other nations for their immense role in World War 1. Even though World War 1 came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, it paved the way for tensions to boil-over in other avenues. The Treaty was extremely successful in pointing blame at Germany, which is extremely obvious in the way it was organised. From discussion at the time, Germany had been expecting a treaty based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points and were not happy with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. However, they had no choice but to sign the document. One of the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles was the infamous War Guilt Clause. The War Guilt Clause was found in Article 231 which clearly states “Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage.” This particular clause was notorious in causing resentment from a vast amount of the German population. Three other major aspects of the Treaty included Reparations, where Germany had to pay 6,600 million pounds for the damage caused by the war. Disarmament, in which Germany was only allowed to have a small army and six naval ships along with the permanent de-militarisation of Rhineland. Finally, were the territorial clauses whereby land was taken away from Germany and given to other countries. The response from the German people was one of outrage and dissatisfaction. Germany could not afford to pay the money and during the 1920s the people in Germany were very poor due to high unemployment and a rise in cost of common necessities. The population was dissatisfied with the government and would eventually vote to power a man who promised to revert the Treaty of Versailles; Adolf Hitler. The Treaty, then, did not accurately reflect the thought process and ideology that Wilson had integrated into his Fourteen Points. His idea of interdependency through a stable international system was evidently not followed due to the harsh thinking of other nations that wanted to protect themselves from the sheer power that Germany as a nation possessed. Another key component of Wilson’s Fourteen Points that became a highly important creation in 1919 was the establishment of a League of Nations.
It was intended that all countries would be members of the League and that if there were disputes between countries they could be settled by negotiation rather than by force. If this failed to solve the issue at hand nations would declare isolation from the aggressive country and then declare violence, as a means of last resort.
In theory the League of Nations was a good idea and did have some early successes. But ultimately it was a failure. The whole world was hit by a depression in the late 1920s where by trade was reduced and unemployment rose. This led many nations to abandon their seeking of interdependency and revert to the pursuit of self sufficient economy. This would lead to the failure of the League of
Nations. An example of this is Japan in 1931 during its depression. The population lost faith in the government and turned to the army to find a solution. The army eventually invaded Manchuria in China, an area rich in minerals and resources. China, then, appealed to the League for help. The Japanese government were told to order the army to leave Manchuria immediately. However, the army ignored the government and continued its taking over of Manchuria. The League then called for countries to stop trading with Japan but because of the depression many countries did not want to lose vital trade partnerships in the interest of the international system. The League then made a further call for Japan to withdraw from Manchuria but Japan’s response was to leave the League of Nations. This situation clearly illustrates how circumstantial flaws contributed to the utter redundant nature of the League. Another major component was the lack of presence of the United States in the League of Nations. Despite the League being in line with the intentions of Wilson, he failed to be present due to the United States public. It was a favorable opinion that Americans had seen too much public expenditure into the small role the US played in World War One and declined to allow greater involvement through the League. Despite the role of America being extremely small in World War One, it was still considered a dominant super power due to the huge population size, territorial land and economic trade-ties. As a result, many smaller, less influential nations were relying upon the United States to be present in order to showcase their point of view. The lack of this, too, contributed in the failure of the League in its preliminary stages. By no means does this paper declare the League of Nations, Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s Fourteen points redundant and acute in the wider scope of International Relations. Each of these events had their own relative importance during the time period. The Fourteen Points was important in showcasing a idealistic world where each nation was seen as favourable and part of an international system. The League of Nations was imperative in providing a platform to prevent future war along with the Treaty of Versailles which closed World War One as a whole. Despite their timestamps in history, it is still reasonable to claim that Wilson’s Fourteen Points failed to create a major impact on the League and the Treaty, making it an important catalyst in their establishment, however, lacking in influential role. For the League, this can be attributed to the lack of presence of the United States and, for the Treaty, it is simply due to the ideology of other nations in holding Germany accountable whilst giving up a favorable view on points that would benefit the international system. Perhaps, these signs could be a foreshadowing in the lack of lessons learnt from just one war, marking the need for another one in order for nations to understand the true benefit of interdependence and world collaboration.
Wilson's 14 Points vs. the Treaty of Versailles. When the peace processes were to start after the end of World War One, there were four people who were major components in the treaty of Paris: Clemenceau, George, Orlando, and Wilson. Clemenceau wanted revenge on the Germans by punishing them through the treaties because he believed that they were at fault for the war; George was in agreement with Clemenceau although he did not feel that Germany should suffer severe punishment; Orlando who wanted the irredenta to be re-established; and President Wilson of the United States of America wanted to create a mild peace with Germany in a fair way. In view of this, Wilson created fourteen points that he wanted accomplished in full as a result of the peace treaties. His fourteen points were his plan for a world peace and included plans for the end of secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction, the just settlement of colonial claims, the establishment of a League of Nations, and the evacuation of occupied territories and national self-determination.
The United States remained neutral in World War One because they saw it in their best interest. At the time the war began, the U.S. industry was struggling. Staying out of the war was a way to boost the industry in America by utilizing trade with both the Ally and Central Powers. The U.S. also had no real reason to join the war. They had close ties with both sides. Some problems, however, would arise that would question the U.S. decision to remain neutral and sway their opinions to one side of the war.
...n and defeated, Wilson believed firmly that his vision of America leading a world community of nations would eventually be embraced by the American people. Twenty-five years later, the United Nations built its headquarters in New York, a tangible symbol of the bipartisan support that Wilsonian ideals had gained after a second world war. But Wilson's legacy was not confined to foreign policy. His progressive domestic programs helped stabilize and humanize a huge industrial system, and his success in making the presidency the intellectual and political leader of the American government enabled the United States to deal effectively with the challenges and threats of the modern world. But don't forget the credit of Roosevelt's "New Imperialism", it became the hallmark of American foreign policy in the new century, positioning America as the leader of the western alliance.
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.
World War I, or the Great War, lasted from 1914 to 1918. In harsh battles between some of the world’s strongest economic powers, millions of people were killed and wounded. Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States during these years, and he yearned for peace. Towards the end of the conflict, Wilson delivered a speech called “Fourteen Points” on January 8, 1918. His goal in doing so was to create some stability in a time of crisis. Even though the leaders of some countries did not jump on board right away, they eventually agreed to signing the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending the war. Through emphasizing peace, security, and freedom, President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” paid off overall, ultimately revealing that
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. After the war Wilson went before Congress in January 1918, to enunciate American war aims - the Fourteen Points, the last of which would establish "A general association of nations... affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.(Duffy)”Woodrow Wilson did a good job in when joining the war finishing it in a rather fast manner and then quickly making sure a conflict like this never happened
What started with an assassination of an Austrian prince unpopular in with royalty in Vienna and plotters in Belgrade ended in war. Four years of artillery, machine guns, and poison gas had ruined the countryside of Europe. Woodrow Wilson put the blame for dead millions at the feet of secret diplomacy, excessive armament, imperialism, and the lack of international cooperation. His plan for a lasting peace was presented to the world in the form of the Fourteen Points, some of which were present in the final plan for peace, the Treaty of Versailles, which faced internal opposition at home. It was the strength of this opposition, from self or fawning-historian labeled "progressives" to conservatives and isolationists, in conjunction with the intractability and incompetence of President Wilson that encouraged the Senate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.
The League of Nations was created shortly after World War One and had a similar purpose to the Treaty of Versailles - to keep peace between the countries. However, the League was too apathetic and in the long run, was full of failures. The League had many instances in which they weren 't able to keep the peace between countries. Examples of these failures are when Italy attacked the port of Fiume which was given to Yugoslavia, or when France and Belgium invaded Germany’s biggest industrial zone, Ruhr. For both of these
... the actual Fourteen Points as proposed. Prior to reading the points, he made mention of that there were “no confusion between the Allied powers, no uncertainty of principle and no vagueness of detail”. He further stated that “only failure to make definite statement of the objects of the war lies with Germany and her allies”. Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” yielded minimal success as it regards to post World War peace and many of the points failed because they were severely deficient in detail and succinct. The last point that spoke about the “League of Nations” was accepted. In addition the points were based exclusively on US ideals without any input from the other countries that were affected.
The League of Nations sounds like a superhero team and in a sense, the goal that The League was trying to achieve could have been something straight out of a comic book. Originally proposed by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I, The League was born after some alterations. The League of Nations’ main intention was to bring an end to the war and prevent another one of the same atrocious proportions from happening in the future. Forty zealous countries joined this fight, but the most powerful country of all was not among them: The United States of America. While many Americans agreed with the goal of The League, many did not and those that did not were ones in power. The portion of the “mission statement” for The League that caused
The League of Nations was an international organisation formed in 1920 with its primary objective being to uphold world peace and promote collective security. This was based on the idea that if one of the League’s members was invaded, the other countries would stand up against the aggressor together. The League had a variety of successes, including settling the Aaland Islands dispute between Sweden and Finland, as well as failures, such as the Corfu incident between Greece and Italy.
With the conclusion of the First World War the League of Nations was founded in the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. It was the first intergovernmental organization that would keep peace and settle world disputes.
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.
Lenin’s decree states good points on how to achieve a brief period of peace and opens it up to negotiations on how to alter the decree to better serve the purpose of peace. The Fourteen Points directly say exactly what Wilson believes is needed and is included in his declaration of entering the war. The Fourteen Points possibly would have been the best plan for the world and did help with the good aspects of the conclusion of the war; however, every country in Europe had it’s own agenda that did not adhere to the wants of the foreign United States of America. In the course of human history, what is best for the people of the world is not what transpires and this is evidently seen in the ambitious ideals put forth by Vladimir Lenin and Woodrow
Origins for the cooperation amongst powers necessary to tackle international disputes can be traced back to the 19th century, however the formation of the League of Nations was eagerly prompted by the First World War. After the horrors in which the world observed, leaders merged together and rejoiced in the potential for a new international system. The League of Nations foremost objective was to secure peace through collective efforts of ‘peace-loving’ powers (Steans, Pettiford, & Diez, 2005, p. 31). President Woodrow Wilson was a lead proponent in the creation of such a body, suggesting it- within his message on the Conditions of Peace- as a means of ‘affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike’ (Wilson, 1918). The following year a detailed scheme was presented at the Versailles Peace Conference and the league was swiftly established with the addition of a permanent secretariat in Geneva. (Catterall, 1999, p. 50). The League was very much considered the ‘most daring and innovative proposal’ (Wilkinson, 2007, p. 85)