Wilson and the End of the War

Wilson’s vision

• 14 Points• Higher realism?• New Diplomacy• Permanent American role in world affairs• Why?

European goals

• Keep Germany down• Revenge and payment for war: France (Alsace

Lorraine), Britain (reparations), Italy (Trieste), Japan (China and Racial Equality)

• Keep Russian Revolution out• Self determination of peoples?• Security pledge from United States

Agreements at Versailles

• War Guilt: Kriegschuldfrage• Reparations: Germany must pay (finally

determined at 33 billion gold Reichsmark)• Territorial adjustments (Germany lost 10 % of its

territory and 15 % of its prewar population)• Self determination of peoples: New nation states

in Eastern Europe• Diplomatic isolation of Russia: Cordon sanitaire• League of Nations

Wilson’s Problems

• Wanted League of Nations: Europeans took advantage of this

• Wilson misread his popularity both in Europe and in the United States

• Article X of the League of Nations Charter • No congressional input• Henry Cabot Lodge (friend of TR) • Bad health

Wilson’s failure

• Europeans imposed punitive peace• Lodge able to block ratification of Versailles Treaty• Wilson suffered stroke while speaking for League, leaving his

wife in control. Won’t compromise (inflexibility symptomatic of stroke victims)

• United States eventually signed separate peace treaty with Germany: No security agreement for Europe

• Germany’s first representative government saddled with Diktat, Reparations and “Ruckstoss” PR problem

• United States turns inward from international commitments and away from domestic reforms.