Wilson and Fourteen Points

Mr. Williams10th Grade U.S. History

Armistice • Late 1918 war crippled German

economy• Civilians lacked food and supplies• Food riots and strikes• Revolution swept Austria-Hungary• November 11, 1918 WAR OVER

• “What we demand…is that the world be made fit and safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression.”

-Woodrow Wilson 1918

14 Points Plan•“Just and Lasting Peace”•Plan for Peace at the end of The Great War•Self-Determination•League of Nations

Wilson the Fortune Teller• “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 [agree upon] the method by which to prevent it” –Woodrow Wilson

Self-Determination •The right of people to decide

their own political status•Wilson wanted the different

ethnic groups within Austria-Hungary to be able to form their own nation

League of Nations• League would be an

organization of nations that would work together to settle disputes, protect, democracy, and prevent future wars •Precursor to United Nations

Arguments for and Against• Three Groups•1: Democrats who supported

immediate ratification of the treaty•2: Irreconcilables who urged

outright rejection of U.S. Participation in the League

•3: Reservationists who focused their criticism of the charter that required its members to use military force to carry out the League’s decisions. •Republicans felt it interfered

with Congress powers to declare war

Paris Peace Conference• BIG FOUR• Woodrow Wilson• British Prime Minister David Lloyd

George• French premier Georges Clemenceau • Italian Prime Minister Vittorio

Orlando

Conflicting Views•Wilson’s Vision•Nations deal with each other

openly and traded fairly•Reducing their arsenals of

weapons •14 POINT PEACE PLAN

14 Points Role?• League of Nations established•Very Weak due to U.S. not

joining•Nine new nations would be

created Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia……..

Treaty of Versailles• Germany forced to accept sole

responsibility for starting the war• Reduce the size of its military• Give up territory won during and

years before war• Reparations: payments for damages

and expenses caused by the war

•What was the goal of Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points? How was this going to be achieved? What was the goal of the other countries who were part of the “Big 4”? How did they achieve their goal?

3.8 Format

Impact in Europe• European Countries lost entire

generation of young men• France was in ruins•G.B. deeply in Debt to U.S.•Reparations on Germany

crippled its economy

Political Impact•Overthrow of monarchies in

Russia, A-H, Germany, O.E.•Bolsheviks rose to power•Revolts against colonialism, in

the Middle East and Asia

Social Impact•More than a million women

went into the workforce•19th Amendment Passed•African Americans moved to

northern cities and led to new and often uneasy race relations

Economic Impact • U.S. emerged as world’s leading

economic power• Farmers hit hard because European

markets no longer needed to buy their food or could really afford it• For years all of Europe’s resources

went to the war effort, this left most of Europe’s economy in shambles