Being a Global Peacemaker

Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points

• Main Idea– When the fighting ending in Europe, President

Woodrow Wilson pressed for a treaty that would bring peace to the postwar world.

• Key Terms– Fourteen Points– Spoils– League of Nations– Reparations– Versailles Treaty

Setting the Scene

• January 1918 – Wilson began talking to Congress about peace between the Triple Entente, Central Powers, and the US– “be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own,

wishes to lives its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by other people of the world as against force and selfish aggression.”

– Wilson’s program to reach these goal became called the Fourteen Points

• For the number of provisions it contained– Wilson wanted his 14 Points to be the basis of peace negotiations

FOURTEEN POINTS:

• Plan was present to Congress in January 1918.• 1st 5 points suggested ways that wars could be

avoided.• Next 8 points suggested new national

boundaries….”self-determination”• 14th point called for a LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

WOODROW WILSON’S “FOURTEEN POINTS” 1- OPEN DIPLOMACY2- FREEDOM OF THE SEAS3- REMOVAL OF TRADE BARRIERS4- REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS5- READJUSTMENT OF COLONIAL POSSESSIONS WITH

CONSIDERATION OF NATIVE PEOPLES (self-determination)

6- EVACUATION OF RUSSIA BY FOREIGN ARMIES7- RESTORE INDEPENDENCE OF BELGIUM8- RESTORE ALSACE-LORRAINE TO FRANCE9- READJUST ITALIAN BORDER BY NATIONALITY10- SELF DETERMINATION FOR PEOPLES OF A-H11- RESTORATION OF ROMANIA, SERBIA,

MONTENEGRO12- AUTONOMY FOR NATIONS OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE13- INDEPENDENT POLAND WITH ACCESS TO THE SEA14- ESTABLISHMENT OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS

The Paris Peace Conference

• January 1919 (armistice signed November 11, 1918)

• Wilson goes and is greeted like a hero– Not interested in spoils – reward of war– Just wants long lasting peace and an agency that would

resolve disputes peacefully • “There must not be a balance of power, but a community of

power, not organized rivalries, but an organized common peace.”

British Prime Minister George, French Prime Minister Clemenceau, President Wilson

Compromise• Prime Ministers of France and Great Britain wanted

the Central Powers to pay for the war through land, goods, livestock, and money and wanted to divide up Germany’s colonies vs. Just wanted World Peace

• Russia was not involved but would sign a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with Germany in 1922– Did not take any spoils of war

• Wilson had to give up– Respect the rights of native people in

Germany colonies (Africa, China, Pacific)• Wilson was able to get the countiesto accept the League of Nations

League of Nations

• An organization in which the nations of the world would join together to ensure security and peace for all its members

• Would not have its own army, the countries in it would have to raise their armies to back the cause

• The Big Two would accept the League– Great Britain, France,– Wilson would leave Paris to return to DC to present his case

on the League of Nations to Congress– 39 Republican Senators reject it

• Said it would be a way to pull the U.S. into any foreign war

Treaty of Versailles

• Wilson returned to Paris in March 1919– His inability to have Congress pass the League of Nation in the US allowed

French PM Clemenceau to push for harsh penalties on Germany• These penalties would eventually be the cause of World War II

• Redrawing the European Map– Austria-Hungry, Russia, and Germany was divided into 9 new nations

• Most borders were closely guided by ethnic populations

– To give a buffer between Communist Russia and Europe– Ottoman Empire shrunk and became Turkey– Britain took control of Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq– France took control of Syria and Lebanon– Italy was promised land control of Austria-Hungry when it joined the

Entente in 1915 – was not given their promised land• Germany was given all the guilt and had to disarm their military

The Peace Treaty

• War Guilt and Reparations – payment for economic injury suffered during a war– Germany was given war guilt and financial responsibility

• Against Wilson’s wishes• $33 billion – Germany could not afford the cost

– Germany would never forgive or forget this humiliation• Signing the Treaty

– Treaty of Versailles• Presented to Germany in May 1919• Germany refused because they agreed with Wilson 14 points• France threatened an invasion forcing Germany to sign

What specifically did the Treaty do to Germany?

• Took away Germany’s army & navy

• Forced Germany to pay reparations (war damages)

• Germany had to admit that it was responsible for causing the war (war-guilt clause)

WEAKNESSES OF TREATY OF VERSAILLES….

1) Harsh treatment of Germany

2) Soviet Union (formerly Russia) lost more territory than Germany.

3) Colonies…the treaty didn’t recognize the claims of colonies for self-determination (Southeast Asia)

When Wilson brings treaty back to U.S. for approval, it is met with much

opposition

*Some thought it was too harsh.*Others thought it favored imperialists

*Some ethnic groups objected b/c of the way it treated their homelands.

Main opposition of Treaty is over the League of Nations…

• Some senators didn’t like idea of working w/other countries to take economic & military action against aggression

• Leader of senators was Henry Cabot Lodge.

Henry Cabot Lodge

SENATE REJECTS THE TREATY!!!!

U.S. never entered the League of Nations.Signed a separate treaty w/Germany in

1921.

What was the legacy of the War?

The War transformed the U.S. & the world…

• World War I strengthened both U.S. military power & the power of government.

• Also, accelerated change for women.• However , the propaganda campaign left a

legacy of mistrust & fear.

In Europe, the war left a legacy of massive destruction, loss of life, political instability, & violence…

Communists ruled in Russia & soon after the war fascist organizations seized power

in Italy

Americans hoped that WWI had convinced the world to never fight again….

But, in Europe the war settled nothing…..

"I can predict with absolute certainty that within another generation there will be another world war if the nations of the world do not concert the

method by which to prevent it." Woodrow Wilson, 1919

In Germany, Adolf Hitler exploited Germans’ discontent w/the Treaty of Versailles & threatened to fight again.

  Hitler (seated, far left) during World War I