The relations of the countries in the world were not the same in the different periods of time. World history knows the peace times and the war times, when countries provided aggressive politics against each other and when the relations were structured to the diplomatic terms. Woodrow Wilson appeared to be the president of the United States of America when world politics was in the war relations with each other. His speech, which later was named Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, from his point of view, aimed to impart peaceful relations in the world’s economic and political life.
Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States from 1913 – 1921. He ruled the country during World War I, and as president of the country, did not want to enter this war for some time. January 8, 1918, was notable in the history of the United States and the whole world as Woodrow Wilson appeared before the Congress with his plan, which later received the name Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points. These settlement points had a profound effect on the war’s outcome and the subsequent peace conference (America at War, 1998).
The Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, the conversation is about, are as follows, (1) an end to secret interrogations and open agreements among nations, (2) freedom of the sea navigation both in peace and war times, (3) equal conditions for trade for all countries, (4) the limitation of the armaments in countries, (5) impartial adjustment of colonial claims, (6) the release of Russia territories and allowing for making decisions according to its interests, (7) evacuation and restoration of Belgium, (8) evacuation of France and restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France, (9) the reconstruction of Italian frontiers, (10) the opportunity for autonomous development of Austria-Hungary, (11) evacuation of Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro, (12) self-determination of the peoples of the Turkish Empire, (13) the creation of independent Poland, confirmed by international agreement, and (14) the establishment of general association of nations as the guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity of all countries. (President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points)
Woodrow Wilson’s main aim, which he wanted to provide with the help of his points, was the “most forgiving peace plan ever” (Hakim, 2002-17). Wilson did not believe in revenge, and he wanted was a peaceful end of the war, as he presented it. It seems that he wanted to finish the war without winners and losers. Wilson guaranteed people freedom, what they wanted most of all. It is possible for us to dwell upon Wilson’s desires for a long time, but the finish would be the same; these points have never been established. There may be lots of reasons, but the main is that they ended with nothing. The aims of the war were not reached, the desires were not implemented, and that was the reason for World War II.
From Woodrow Wilson’s point of view, these points were the best way out from the situation which had appeared. The freedom for all, according to his plan, would have satisfied every member of World War I, and they would all stop that war. The problem was that Wison was alone while comprising his points; he did not have any consultation with others. It is obvious that most of his points would not have been accepted. Great Britain, for example, would have never agreed on free sea navigation, as it has been strengthening its navy for a long time in order to maintain control under the sea. It is a fact now that Germany did not take notice of this document till the understanding that their victory was impossible.
Wilson’s attempt to create the League of Nations, which would guarantee the order and independence of all nations, no matter whether they were big or small, powerful or helpless, was one of the main aims of Wilson’s politics.
The biggest political arguments were around Germany as the offender of the war. On the summit of four (the USA, France, Italy, and Great Britain), all disagreed with Wilson’s plan of was without winners and losers. They demanded reparations from Germany for all the damage, moral and material, which brought to the countries-participants. As pointed above, France and Great Britain refused to accept the points about free trade, free sea navigation, colonial politics, as well as the promise of national self-determination for the people of Europe. Nevertheless, Wilson managed to provide some of his points, which are the establishment of colonial trusteeships and the acceptance of points about the League of Nations creation (America at War, 1998).
The agreed points were noted, and the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. Germany was accepted as the sole starter of the war and had to pay huge reparations. However, the agreed point about the creation of the League of Nations was not included in the Treaty of Versailles (Hakim. 2002). Therefore Wilson’s points did not take the jurisdiction power; they came in history as the most peaceful and freedom-provided ones. These points are very important from the point of view of the freedom consideration, in spite of the fact that that they never came into use.
There may be structured the other point of view about these Wilson’s points, considering them from the time passed position and paying attention to the USA political treatment of Central Asia now. Focusing on these points, it comes to mind that it was the covered attempt of the USA to maintain its influence in the Central East. These notions till present days form the main vector of the Washington political activity in the region. There are two main regions of political instability and the regions of potential conflicts: The afghani-Tajik frontier and Fergana valley, the direct corridor to which has Islamic, terroristic, and drug traffic from Afghanistan. The continuous war in Iraq, the other political domination of the USA may push on this idea.
So, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points were very important in the history of the United States of America, in spite of the fact that they have never been realized. These Fourteen Points allowed too much freedom to states which were not so powerful, these points were aimed to level such powerful states as France and Great Britain to other less powerful, and it is obvious that they did not allow that. World diplomacy should be provided by the states with stable political positions and economic activities in order to maintain order and balance in world political life.
Works Cited
- America at War: Wilson’s Peace Plan (1910s). American Decades CD-ROM. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.
- Hakim, Joy. War, Peace, and All that Jazz. Oxford University Press US, 2002
- President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points. Lillian Goldman Law Library, 2008. Online.