Wilson's 14 Points: The Unfulfilled Promise for Peace after World War I, Study notes of Diplomacy

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Wilson’s 14 Points

The End of WWI

What Were the 14 Points?

1. Open *Diplomacy

• No more secret treaties
• Secret Alliances got the war started!

3. World Disarmament —
   • Get rid of the Weapons build

up--it just causes tension

4. No trade barriers — (like

tariffs)

• Barriers (like tariffs) cause

competition & therefore

conflict

5. No war claims —
   • Germany should not have to

pay Reparations

6-13. All deal with Self-

Determination

• End Imperialism
• Autonomy to imperialized

nations

• Has to do with economic competition
• As nations seek to control other nations problems (like secret treaties) arise--So let nations control themselves

So how did it all play out?

• On 11/11/1918 an armistice was

signed putting an end to fighting

• Just what Wilson was waiting for
• Wilson is instrumental in

hammering out the Treaty of Versailles

• He Goes to Europe
  • Unprecedented for sitting president to leave the country

What Happened to the 14 Points?

1. Open Diplomacy —Most of the

treaty negotiated in secret

2. Freedom of the Seas —A joke no

other nations took It seriously

3. World Disarmament —Only the

Central powers had to disarm

What Happened?

6-13. Self-Determination —No

progress there either

14. Formation of a ―League of

Nations‖ --It was formed but

the U.S. never joined

• Wilson had to give up the 1st^ 13 points to get the 14th - Wilson really felt that the league would stabilize Europe, and he was willing to compromise all the others for it - The League of Nations did materialize - However it was never ratified by the US Senate, so the U.S. never joined - Article 10 was seen as Unconstitutional »The Constitution gives only congress the power to declare war

• Wilson actually dies from flu in a

campaign to drum up support for the

treaty.

• It was never ratified
• The US signed a separate treaty w/ Germany under Ohio President Warren G. Harding
• Which means USA never joined the league of nations
• Never had the power it was meant to

• But the real tragedy of the treaty was

death of point

• Wilson understood that economics lay at the heart of the war
• Germany was severely punished for the war, they were humiliated and there was no hope in sight of getting out of their current situation
• The situation was ludicrous

• U. S. Banks getting rich

off the whole thing

• Fed German nationalism
• Led to rise Nazi Germany

in the 1930s.