In April 1917, America entered World War I, as the action of German submarines in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean seriously affected the country’s industrial and shipping interests. Earlier, a secret German cable had also been discovered which stated that, should the US enter the war against Germany, the latter would ally with Mexico, which – with German help – would recover Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
Thus, even the previously pacifist President Woodrow Wilson, who was re-elected on the slogan “kept us out of war”, had no choice but to become involved in the international conflict. From the moment the US entered the war, however, Wilson had his sights set on the prospect of peace. He appointed a commission of experts, known as “The Inquiry”, in order to finalize his positions on the intended peace. In December 1917, the president asked the commission to draw up specific proposals for a comprehensive peace agreement. Taking these suggestions into account, Wilson formulated a plan that became known as the “14 Points” and laid the foundations for achieving world peace and rebuilding the post-war world. This plan was presented by him in his speech to Congress on January 8, 1918.
In summary, the 14 Points of the plan defined:
1. Open diplomacy without secret treaties.
2. Free trade on the seas in time of war and peace.
3. Equitable terms of trade.
4. Reduction of armaments among all nations.
5. Settlement of colonial claims.
6. Withdrawal of all Central Powers from Russia, which would be allowed to determine her own independence.
7. Evacuation and restoration of Belgium.
8. Return of the region of Alsace-Lorraine and all French territories.
9. Readjustment of the Italian border.
10. To give Austria-Hungary the opportunity for self-determination.
11. Redrawing the borders of the Balkan region with the creation of Romania, Serbia and Montenegro.
12. Creation of a Turkish state with guaranteed free trade in the Dardanelles.
13. Creation of an independent Polish state.
14. Creation of the League of Nations.
In December 1918, after the war ended, Wilson traveled to Paris to participate in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Versailles. It was his desire to involve the organization he identified in the 14th point, the later League of Nations, in these negotiations. But the satisfaction of this claim forced him to compromise with the allied leaders on other points. For example, Japan was allowed to rule former German territories in China, while self-determination was effectively only implemented in Europe.
After the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, President Wilson returned to America and presented it to the Senate. Although many Americans were in favor of the terms of the treaty, several senators feared that US membership in the League of Nations would force the country to become involved in European affairs, which was undesirable. Many remained adamant, but some Republican senators under Henry Cabot Lodge, called for certain amendments that would preserve and protect American sovereignty and the power of Congress to declare war. Refusing to compromise as he had done in Paris, Woodrow Wilson decided to take the American people on his side by organizing a tour. His hope was that American citizens could influence their state senators. Unfortunately, during the tour President Wilson suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered.
His presidency ended in March 1921, and so did his dream of US entry into the League of Nations, as the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles in its entirety. However, the League of Nations, although it proved unable to prevent a second world war, formed the basis for the United Nations, which is based in New York. This is, among other things, the legacy attributed to the 28th president of the United States.
Column editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
