President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

622 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What was the united states role in ww2

President Woodrow Wilson was elected in the year 1912. He was over all a good president, however was not very familiar with foreign policy. His thought was that America should stay neutral and not get involved. This was true, America had enough problems of its own to worry about. Wilson was an honest man and wanted to keep the promises he made during his campaign. He began passing new laws including the Clayton Antitrust Act which made labor unions legal (Joseph, 19). World War I started in Europe in July of 1914. President Woodrow Wilson successfully handled his challenge of war because he declared war, made 14 points, and achieved peace between the countries.

Wilson did not want to go to war, it was his belief that America should stay neutral. The war hadn’t begun in England but was going to very soon due to the tension between the countries. Wilsons “first order of business was to propose a pact of friendship among England, Germany, and the United States” (Osinski 60). However no agreements came from this peace operation. June 28, 1914 war was declared, at this time America didn’t have any reason to join in the war, or to take sides. Since the war had begun American business’s and financial companies wanted to know if they could loan money to foreign countries. American farmers and manufacturers wanted to not limit the restrictions of trade with them and Wilson had to allow Americans to sell goods and loan money to the any foreign country (Osinski 61). America had a part in the war, not directly, but unclearly America was part of the war. On April 6th, 1917 the U.S. declared war with Germany. This was what Wilson did not want to do, but good would eventually come of it.

President Wilson was ready to present his plan for peace. He made his “Fourteen Points”, these were his 14 areas for correction and agreement. Some of these fourteen points include freedom of navigation, arms reduction, and forming an association of nations (Collins 96). During these fourteen points Germany was even noted, stating: “We wish her only to accept a place of equality among the peoples of the world instead of a place of mastery” (Collins 96). The words Wilson used were carefully picked and simply stated. Wilson was applauded for his idea and newspapers wrote about him (Collins 96). In October German leaders told the United States that they wanted to sit down and discuss an end to the war based on Wilson’s fourteen points (Collins 97).

Show More
Related

  • Progressives DBQ

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Roosevelt and Wilson were both strong believers in Progressivism. The Progressive movement was time of eliminating corruption and reform. Roosevelt wanted a stronger central government to help the people. He used his position as president as a “bully pulpit”, in that he would influence public opinion through his popularity. Roosevelt often took a more aggressive approach to domestic policy in that he would go against the Old Guard Republicans, whereas Wilson was one to speak directly in front of congress in order to gain their support. Roosevelt became president towards the beginning of the progressive movement, and so he had a harder time trying make reforms than Wilson did. Also, by telling the public that he was only going to run one term, his chances of running for a second term was greatly diminished, which is one of the reasons why Wilson came ahead in the election of 1912. Roosevelt promoted New Nationalism, while Wilson promoted New Freedom. They were very popular presidents in the eyes of the American people. Especially Roosevelt, who liked to vocalize his opinions and open up his private life to them. Throughout the early 1900s, Roosevelt and Wilson both were leaders in the progressive movement, with their own spin on how it should be done. The two presidents altered labor and large businesses, civil rights, and ultimately the role of the federal government.

    Read More

  • How Did Warren G Harding Impact The 1920s

    524 Words  | 2 Pages

    World War One ended one year after we joined the war and America was putting all of its energy and money into it so when the war was over we needed a President that could bring us back in everyday American lives and we got Warren G. Harding. Harding was the 29th President of the United States from 1921 to 1923 even though his presidency fell short because of his death in 1923 due to a heart attack of the age of 57 he did a lot to impact the 1920s even though he was only president for 2 years. Harding impacted the 1920s with the Teapot Dome Scandal, Immigration and his death.

    Read More

  • Global Interaction Dbq Analysis

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    According to Document 6, Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war on Germany, in a presidential address to congress in 1917. In 1916, a campaign ad for Woodrow Wilson's re - election that links opposing candidate Charles Evans Hughes with Theodore Roosevelt, who had said the United States should have gone to war over the sinking of the Lusitania, there was conflict between Hughes and Roosevelt, and Wilson. He wanted war, which would cost money and many lives. There was also conflict between the citizens and the nation. In Document 4, the citizens had a problem with the treaty to end a war. We also needed to provide navy and protection for other alliances. That is what they expected from us, and that is what leaves us in

    Read More

  • Essay On The Difference Between Theodore Roosevelt And Wilson

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    In my opinion, if Roosevelt was president during the grueling time of World War I, he would have stood up and sent troops to fight right away. Wilson was neutral with the war, he decided to wait and stay out of the war until completely needed. Roosevelt’s opinion on some of the aspects of the war, “He was appalled by the German invasion of neutral Belgium” (Lukacs, pg. 4). Wilson did eventually send troops in, one of the first actions Wilson asked Congress to do during the war, was to declare war on Germany. He stated about this “The world must be made safe for democracy.” Roosevelt even highly disagreed to Wilson’s foreign policy, saying it was a failure regarding the atrocities in Belgium and the violations of American rights. “Roosevelt privately/not so privately said that Wilson was an abject coward” (Lukacs, pg. 4). Roosevelt, in my opinion, would have gone full force in the very beginning, not hesitating for a second. This is pretty obvious with Teddy being a regular hunter and former soldier. Woodrow Wilson being a sophisticated intellect prompted him to take a “smoother” approach in the beginning of the European War. “The phrase World War became current only a year later, mostly employed by American newspapers and Germans” (Lukacs, pg. 4). Some people even believe that World War I could have ended much sooner than the 4 years that it did, if Teddy Roosevelt was

    Read More

  • Theodore Roosevelt vs Woodrow Wilson

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...n and defeated, Wilson believed firmly that his vision of America leading a world community of nations would eventually be embraced by the American people. Twenty-five years later, the United Nations built its headquarters in New York, a tangible symbol of the bipartisan support that Wilsonian ideals had gained after a second world war. But Wilson's legacy was not confined to foreign policy. His progressive domestic programs helped stabilize and humanize a huge industrial system, and his success in making the presidency the intellectual and political leader of the American government enabled the United States to deal effectively with the challenges and threats of the modern world. But don't forget the credit of Roosevelt's "New Imperialism", it became the hallmark of American foreign policy in the new century, positioning America as the leader of the western alliance.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Arthur Link's Book, Woodrow Wilson Revolution, War, and Peace

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Link, Wilson served two consecutive terms totaling eight years in office. During his time in office Wilson faced quite a few hardships, but perhaps the most significant event that Wilson was consumed in was World War I. From the beginning of his presidency Wilson was always looking ahead for long term goals and had a strong faith in democracy. Wilson had always had an interest in foreign affairs and policies, and was determined to end US isolation through practice of fair trade. (Link.pg3&8) Wilson took a personal role in foreign affairs as well as ones on the US home front. He was also extremely an...

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Wilson's Fourteen Points, By Woodrow Wilson

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    He constantly pulls on the heartstrings of the audience by persuading them to choose a truce and freedom over violence. When listeners heard the tranquil life they could live if they followed the points, many of them eagerly agreed with Wilson. When he explained why he entered the war, he said that war “touched us to the quick” (Wilson) because the United States simply could not move on without joining in and correcting the issue. This use of language appeals to the emotions by showing America’s sensitivity and passion towards righteousness. Later, he continues to establish his nation’s morals by declaring “We stand together until the end” (Wilson). Woodrow Wilson makes the unity of his country very clear, likely inspiring others who yearn for similar connections. Also, he uses the word “we” (Wilson) instead of only referring to himself to show that this was a decision made by his whole country. He ends the speech by explaining the commitment of his people, announcing that “they are ready to devote their lives, their honor, and everything that they possess” (Wilson). American citizens are so committed to what they believe in, that they are willing to risk it all just to stand up for what they believe is right. All of these statements appeal to feelings because it is moving to hear how the citizens of the United States put their lives on the line in an attempt to achieve a state of peace for every country involved in the

    Read More

  • Presidents of the Progressive Era

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Roosevelt tended to become more involved with foreign events. On the other hand, Wilson favored remaining impartial in foreign affairs. Wilson didn’t want to become entangled in World War 1 until the United States was directly stricken. During the progressive era, both Roosevelt and Wilson put in great effort to defend smaller businesses. Theodore Roosevelt’s policy of prosecuting monopolies, or “trusts,” that violated federal antitrust laws was known as “Trust-Busting.”

    Read More

  • Wilsonian Realism In America's We Saved The World

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    In WWI, Wilsonian idealism meant several things. This included de-colonization. Also, Wilson strongly believed in democratic peace theory, and he thought that the United States needed to make the world safe for democracy. Furthermore, the president clarified that the United States was entering the war on a moral high ground. For example, Woodrow Wilson mentioned the U.S. was not going to war out of national security but the U.S. had a messianic mission. There were some concerns like the Zimmerman letter that asked Mexico to attack the U.S. On the other hand, the messianic mission was “a war to end all wars” and this was war to make the world safe for democracy. His ideas, which were deeply liberal principles, were embedded into the fourteen points he had created during

    Read More

  • The Espionage Act and The Sedition Act

    2058 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...Wilson took on the persona of the leader of a “righteous war”, and with much support from the people approached Congress asking for a declaration of war (James and Wells, 26). While not everyone was supportive of the war, the vast majority was extremely pro-war. Congress passed the declaration of war against Germany primarily based on its unrestricted usage of U-boats against American ships. Thus through actions taken by the Germans, the United States would begin its involvement in the Great War.

    Read More

  • The Treaty of Versailles

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles was a violation of Wilson’s ideals. The Treaty is one of the most important agreements (or disagreements) that shaped 20th century Europe socially and physically. Woodrow Wilson on January 22, 1917 in an address to the United States Senate called for a peace without victors, but the Treaty signed by the participating nations was everything but that. The blame for the war was placed on Germany and justified the reparations that were outlined by the treaty for the war. The terms of the treaty were very harsh to the Germans and they took on great resentment. It was a fragile peace agreement that would be used as fuel to keep hostilities going 20 years later.

    Read More

  • Comparing Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ir racial characteristics. He also knew the value of the ethnic vote. Wilson on the other hand was a racist who brought his Virginia attitude with him to the White House. Perhaps the most ironic thing about these two men is the fact that Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1904 for helping resolve the Russian-Japanese fighting, and TR never was in office during the Great Wars while Wilson was. However, we did end up getting the United Nations from Woodrow Wilson’s presidency.

    Read More

  • Wilson's 14 Points vs. the Treaty of Versailles

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wilson's 14 Points vs. the Treaty of Versailles. When the peace processes were to start after the end of World War One, there were four people who were major components in the treaty of Paris: Clemenceau, George, Orlando, and Wilson. Clemenceau wanted revenge on the Germans by punishing them through the treaties because he believed that they were at fault for the war; George was in agreement with Clemenceau although he did not feel that Germany should suffer severe punishment; Orlando who wanted the irredenta to be re-established; and President Wilson of the United States of America wanted to create a mild peace with Germany in a fair way. In view of this, Wilson created fourteen points that he wanted accomplished in full as a result of the peace treaties. His fourteen points were his plan for a world peace and included plans for the end of secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction, the just settlement of colonial claims, the establishment of a League of Nations, and the evacuation of occupied territories and national self-determination.

    Read More

  • Woodrow Wilson Essay

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    While Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States, he managed to accomplish some unthinkable feats, such as fighting for the passage of the 19th Amendment and establishing order in the entropic territories such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic by dispatching US Marines in these places. However, due to weak judgement and intuition, as well as inexperience, he made a feeble, manipulatable diplomat. During the Paris Peace Conference and throughout the ratification process for the Treaty of Versailles, Wilson’s ineptitude and stubbornness towards the Republican Party ultimately led the US senate to shoot down the Treaty.

    Read More

  • Differences Of Wilson And Woodrow Wilson's Decree On Peace

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lenin’s decree states good points on how to achieve a brief period of peace and opens it up to negotiations on how to alter the decree to better serve the purpose of peace. The Fourteen Points directly say exactly what Wilson believes is needed and is included in his declaration of entering the war. The Fourteen Points possibly would have been the best plan for the world and did help with the good aspects of the conclusion of the war; however, every country in Europe had it’s own agenda that did not adhere to the wants of the foreign United States of America. In the course of human history, what is best for the people of the world is not what transpires and this is evidently seen in the ambitious ideals put forth by Vladimir Lenin and Woodrow

    Read More

More about President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

Open Document