Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
The Effects of the 14 Points
The United States President Woodrow Wilson announced the 14 points on January 8, 1918 as the basis for a just peace settlement after World War I. Woodrow Wilson hoped to stir up liberal opinions. His speech represented an extreme change in views from the old diplomacy and called upon future victory and defeat to liberalize their diplomacy.
Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points was publicized everywhere and was praised by the countries who were at war. The 14 Points gave Wilson moral leadership of the allies. The allies generally accepted it as a statement of war aims. When Germany was suing for peace it was based on the fourteen points.
At a Paris peace conference the second point was refused by Britain. Also several other points were modified or compromised. France and Great Britain were determined to punish Germany and to rebuild their own economies at Germany’s expense. One after another Wilson’s points fell out of consideration. In the end though, the final settlement was nearest the fourteen points than Wilson and his advisors had expected. Wilson was able to salvage the League of Nations. The League of Nations came out of the fourteen points.
The Paris Peace Conference in 1919 concluded with the signing of the Versailles Treaty with Germany, but a new Republican Congress at home was not in agreement with the peace negotiated under Wilson, particularly with the League of Nations. Ultimately, a separate peace was negotiated between the United States and Germany. Wilson won the Nobel Peace prize in 1919.
With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles Germany was angered at how harshly they were treated. Through Germany’s eyes they were winning the war territorially. It was clear that they could not win against the US, France and England but they hadn't lost either. Germans felt that the reparations were harsh and that they shouldn't have been blamed. Limits were placed on German armed forces. It restored Alsace and Lorraine to France, gave Prussian Poland and most of West Prussia to Poland, put Germany's colonies under the League of Nations, and placed the Saar under French administration. Germany’s pride was lost. In the end with there pride lost and with Germany entering into the world wide depression that swept through Europe in the 20's created an atmosphere that was open to the rantings of extremists. The democratic Weimar Republic fell and a new regime led by the dictator Adolf Hitler began.
American opposition to the League of Nations resulted in the refusal of the U.S. Senate to approve the treaty. In 1935, Adolf Hitler unilaterally abolished most of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
A lot came from Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points, the League of Nations, and the Treaty of Versaille. They probably would not have come up with a peace settlement if it wasn’t for these fourteen Points. These Fourteen Points called on all the other nations in the world to make peace with each other. The League of Nations was set up to keep the peace worldwide.
A School Link Article. Courtesy of Sherri Dooley, LCCHS, March 16, 1999 .
