Download Wilson Fights For Peace

WILSON FIGHTS FOR
PEACE
“This is not a Time for Tactics. It’s a
time to stand square.”
President Wilson
By: Sean Davis
12/17/2008
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Wilson at Versailles
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Upon arriving at the last thing
Wilson anticipated was…
Rejection
Everywhere he went he was
greeted with a Hero’s
Welcome
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Some Things people did to show
respect included:
Parisians strewed the road with
flowers.
Italians displayed pictures in their
windows
Armenians, Jews, Ukrainians, and
poles, appealed to him…
For help in setting up independent
nations for themselves.
Even The British who normally
restrained showed their regard.
Men took off their hats and women
bowed as he passed bye.
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Fourteen Points
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Before the war was even over…..
Wilson presented his plan for world peace.
On January 18th, 1918 he delivered his famous Fourteen
Points Speech Before Congress.
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Fourteen Points (Cont.)
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The first five points addressed issues that Wilson Believed
caused the war.
This is what he presented:
Nations should only engage in open (agreements.) there are to
be no secret treaties among nations.
Freedom of the sea should be maintained (for all)
Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should be
lowered, and or abolished. (in order to foster free trade)
Reduced arms…(to the lowest point consistent with domestic
safety. (in order to lessen Militaristic impulses during diplomatic
crises)
Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial
people as well as the interests of the imperialist powers.
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Fourteen Points (Cont.)
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The next of the Eight Points dealt with specific boundary
changes.
Wilson based these requirements on Self Determination:
“Along historically established lines of nationality.”
This meant national groups who claimed particular ethnic
identity were to decide for themselves what nation they
would belong to.
The Fourteenth Point called for the creation of an
international organization to address diplomatic crises like
those that had sparked the war.
This the League Or Nations would provide a forum for
nations to discuss and settle their grievances without having
to resort to war.
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The Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan
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Wilson’s Naiveté about the political aspects of securing a
peace showed itself in his failure to grasp the anger felt by
the Allied leaders.
French Premier Georges Clemenceau had lived through two
German invasions of France, and was determined to prevent
future invasions.
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George had just one
reelection on the slogan “Make Germany Pay”.
Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando wanted Control of
Austrian Territory.
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Contrary To Custom
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The peace conference did not include the defeated Central
Powers. Nor did it include Russia or the smaller Allied
nations. Instead “The Big Four”
Wilson, Clemenceau, Lloyd George, and Orlando
These Four worked out the treaty’s details among
themselves.
Wilson conceded on most of his Fourteen Points in return for
the establishment of the League Of Nations.
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The Treaty of Versailles
On June 28th 1919, the Big Four and defeated nations
gathered in the Great hall of the Palace at Versailles to sign
the Treaty.
 After 4 years of devastating warfare, everyone hoped the
treaty would create stability for a rebuilt Europe. Instead
anger held sway.
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Provisions Of The Treaty
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The Treaty Of Versailles established nine new nations—
including:
Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia
This Also Shifted the Boundaries of other Nations.
It carved four areas out of the Ottoman Empire, and gave
them to France and Great Britain as mandates, or temporary
colonies.
The two Allies were to administer their respective mandates
until the areas were ready for self-rule, and then
independence.
The Mandates Included:
Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine (which is now Israel and
Jordan)
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Treaty (Cont.)
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The treaty demilitarized Germany, stripping it of its air force
and most of its navy. Reducing its army to 100,000 men.
The treaty also required Germany to return Alsace-Lorraine
to France and to pay reparations, or war damages, in the
amount of $33 billion to the Allies.
The Treaty contained a war-guilt clause that forced Germany
to Acknowledge that it alone was responsible for World War I
(WWI)
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The Treaty’s Weakness
Such Treatment of Germany weakened the ability of the
Treaty of Versailles to serve as the basis of a lasting peace
in Europe.
 Three basic weaknesses provided the seeds of postwar
international problems that eventually led to World War II
(WWII)
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The Treaty’s Weakness (Cont.)
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First : The Treaty Humiliated Germany although German
Militarism played a major role in igniting the war.
Other European Nations had been no less guilty in provoking
the Diplomatic crises before the War.
The War Guilt Clause caused Germans of all political views
to detest the treaty.
Furthermore: Their was no way Germany could pay the
huge financial reparations demanded by the allies.
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The Treaty’s Weakness (Cont.)
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Second: The Bolshevik government in Russia felt the Big
Four ignored its needs.
For three years the Russians had fought with the Allies and
suffered higher Casualties than any other nation. However,
Russia was excluded from the Peace Conference.
Consequently, Russia lost more territory than Germany did.
The Union Of Soviet Socialist Republics (or Soviet Union),
as Russia was officially called after 1922, became
determined to regain its former Territory.
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The Treaty’s Weakness (Cont.)
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Third: the third issue to contribute to the international
instability resulted from decisions about what should be done
with colonial territories.
Germany was stripped of its colonial possessions in the
Pacific that might help it repay its reparations bill.
Also, the treaty ignored the claims of colonized people for
self determination, as in the case of Southeast Asia.
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The Treaty’s Weakness
Concluded
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In The early 20th century, much of Southeast Asia was a
French colony called French Indochina.
For Decades, nationalist movements for independence
developed in what is now Vietnam.
At Versailles, a man later known as Ho Chi Minh appealed to
President Wilson for Help.
Ho Chi Minh wanted a constitutional government that would
give the Vietnamese people the same civil and political rights
as the French.
Wilson Refused to Consider the proposal.
Ho Chi Minh later founded the Indochina Communist Party
and led the fight in Vietnam against the French, and then
American forces until his Death in 1969.
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Opposition to the Treaty
When Wilson returned to the United States, he found
Several Groups opposed to the treaty.
 People including: Herbert Hoover.
 Hoover believed that the treaty was too harsh.
He also noted that the economic consequences alone would
bring down Europe and thus injure the United States.
Others Considered the Treaty a sell out to imperialism that
simply exchanged one set of colonials rulers for another.
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Opposition to the Treaty (Cont)
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Some Ethnic Groups objected the treaty because the new
national boundaries it established did not satisfy their
particular demands for self-determination.
For example: before the war many poles had been under
German rule. Now many Germans were under polish rule.
 Furthermore: Wilson hadn’t tried to obtain Ireland’s
independence from Great Britain.
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Debate over The League Of
Nations
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The main domestic opposition, however, centered on the
issue of the League Of Nations.
A few opponents believed the League threatened the U.S.
foreign policy of staying clear of European Entanglements.
Conservative senators, headed by Henry Cabot Lodge, were
suspicious of the provisions for joint economic and military
action against aggression, even though it was Voluntary.
They wanted the same Constitutional right of congress to
declare war also included in the treaty.
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Debate (Cont.)
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Wilson Could have smothered these concerns if he had
chosen the membership of the American Delegation more
carefully.
Accompanying the President were personal aide Colonel
Edward M. House, Secretary of State Robert Lansing,
General Tasker H. Bliss, and diplomat Henry White.
Only one of the four, White, was a republican, although the
1918 congressional campaign had given the republicans a
majority in both houses.
None was a senator, although the Senate would have to
ratify the peace Treaty.
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(Cont.)
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If Wilson had been more willing to accept a compromise on
the League, it is quite likely that the Senate would have
approved the Treaty.
Wilson however was exhausted from his efforts at Versailles.
As a result, he became more cold, aloof, and rigid than ever.
Wilson then decided to appeal directly to the people after
realizing the Senate might not approve the Treaty.
Despite Warnings from his doctor and family that his health
was fragile Wilson set out in September 1919 on an 8,000
mile tour. He delivered 35 speeches in 22 days, explaining
why the United States should join The United Nations.
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President Wilson Collapses
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On October 2, Wilson collapsed and was rushed back to the White
House.
He had suffered a stroke (a blood clot to the brain) and lay partially
paralyzed for more than 2 month.
He couldn’t even meet with his cabinet, and his once-powerful voice
was no more than a thick whisper.
In November 1919 the treaty came for a vote in the Senate.
Senator Lodge introduced a number of amendments, the most
important of which qualified the terms under which the United
States would enter the League Of Nations.
Lodge and other members feared the U.S. membership in the
League would force the United States to form its foreign policy in
accord with other members of the League.
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(Cont.)
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Most Americans opposed such limitations on American
actions.
Although the Senate rejected the amendments it also failed
to ratify the treaty.
Wilson Refused to compromise with Lodge and other
senators over their reservations about the League. “I will not
Play for position.” Wilson proclaimed. “I can stand Defeat: I
cannot stand retreat from conscientious duty.”
The treaty then came up again in March 1920. The senate
again rejected the Lodge amendments and again failed to
muster enough votes for ratification.
The United States finally signed a separate treaty with
Germany in 1921, after Wilson was no longer President.
The United States never joined the League of Nations but it
Maintained an unofficial observer at League meetings.
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The End
Of The Presentation
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