Wilson's Fourteen Points

 Stemming from a speech delivered on January 8, 1918, Wilson’s fourteen points set the outline for the American response to WW1. The Fourteen Points, which can be found here, attempted for “peace without victory”, making sure that there was no clear victor in the war, hopefully preventing future conflict. He outlined guidelines for international conduct, rules for self-determination, and finally a general association of nations to resolve disputes and promote collective security.

The first 5 points outlined the rules for international conduct, ranging from freedom of the seas and trade, to the restriction of armed forces. The next 8 points called for territorial adjustments within Europe, including colonial lands and territory gained in the war. The 14th, and last point called for, “A general association of nations … affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike,” which eventually resulted in the creation of the League of Nations.

While these points were seen as the basis for the American treatment of the peace, the reality was far from the ideal outcome. After hearing of his points, Germany agreed to negotiate with Wilson, giving him great power over the other European nations, but at The Paris Peace Conference, Wilson found it hard to stick to his ideals. Receiving pressure from David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, and Georges Clemenceau of France, Wilson was forced to change his position into a very anti-German treaty. One of the biggest difference from Wilson’s points and the Treaty of Versailles came in the form of the War Guilt Clause, which assigned the blame for the war entirely on the shoulders of the Germans, causing Wilson’s hope of “peace without victory” out the window. German was forced to pay 269 billion marks as reparation for the war, an amount impossible for them to pay, even disregarding their failing industries due to war damage.

While the ideas in Wilson’s fourteen points may have secured peace in an ideal setting, the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference caused many Germans to be angered over its disparities from Wilson’s initial speech. In the end, tensions over the treaty eventually would lead to the start of the World's next war, WW2.