Wilson Fights for Peace

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Wilson Fights for Peace
In December 1918, President and Mrs. Wilson
sailed for Europe. At the magnificent palace of
Versailles outside Paris, Wilson tried to
persuade the Allies to construct a just and
lasting peace.
This was the second time a U.S. president left
the country while in office. (TR had left to
visit the Panama Canal.)
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Wilson had delivered his Fourteen Point Plan for
world peace to Congress in January 1918.
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This is a good idea because . . .
1. No secret treaties
2. Freedom of the seas
3. Tariffs lowered or abolished
4. Arms reduction
5. Consideration of the interests of colonial
peoples
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Points 6 13 dealt with specific boundary
changes and self-determination of ethnic/national
groups.
Wilson based these provisions on the principle of
self-determination along historically
established lines of nationality.
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14 calls for international organization or League
of Nations League would provide a forum to
discuss and settle problems without war
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The Big Four at Versailles Wilson (USA),
Clemenceau (France), Lloyd George (UK), Orlando
(Italy)
The Central Powers, Russia, and smaller Allied
nations were excluded.
Wilsons dreams of peace collided with political
realities.
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Clemenceau had lived through two German invasions
of France Lloyd George had won reelection on the
slogan, Make Germany Pay! Orlando wanted
control of Austrian territory. Wilson gives up
most of his points in return for a League of
Nations.
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On June 28, 1919, the Big Four and the leaders of
the defeated nations gathered in the Great Hall
of the Palace of Versailles to sign the treaty.
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Treaty of Versailles Created 9 new nations
(including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia)
shifted the boundaries of other nations. Carved
four areas out of the Ottoman Empire and gave
them to France and Great Britain as temporary
colonies Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine.
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Treaty places various conditions on Germany -
must demilitarize army, navy, air force severely
limited - must return Alsace-Lorraine to
France - must pay reparations, or war damages,
of 33 billion to Allies - War-guilt
clauseGermany must accept sole responsibility
for war
The Treaty of Versailles sowed the seeds of
postwar international problems that eventually
led to WWII.
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But maybe it was Wilsons fault. Consider this
If General Pershings fresh and plucky troops had
not reached the scene in the closing stages of
the bloodbath, universal exhaustion would almost
certainly have compelled an earlier armistice, on
less savage terms. Without President Wilsons
intervention, the incensed and traumatized French
would never have been able to impose terms of
humiliation on Germany the very terms that
Hitler was to reverse, by such relentless means,
a matter of two decades later. Christopher
Hitchens reviewing The Pacifists and the Trenches
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Meanwhile, President Wilson returns to the United
States with the Treaty of Versailles.
Article II of the Constitution states He the
President shall have power, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, to make
treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators
present concur. So, what must be done now?
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Strong opposition to treaty in U.S. Some think
treaty too harsh, fear economic effects Some
feel treaty exchanged one group of colonial
rulers for another Some ethnic groups not
satisfied with new national borders Some think
League of Nations threatens U.S. foreign policy
of isolation Senators like Henry Cabot Lodge
mistrust provision for joint action. Republicans
control the Senate.
That evil thing with the holy name!
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, describing the League
of Nations.
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Describe and interpret
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Wilson goes on speaking tour to convince nation
to support League He has a stroke and is
temporarily disabled
18
For the first time in its history, the Senate
rejected a peace treaty. 
League of Nations 1920s (356)
The League failed to prevent rise of Axis powers
and WWII.