How Did Wilson's 14 Points?
November 11, 1918 would mark Germany’s surrender as the kaiser fled to Holland, yet it was only the beginning of the quarrel between President Wilson and the American people over the Treaty of Versailles. Beforehand, Wilson had delivered the Fourteen Points Address to Congress January 8th declaring World War 1 as a moral cause and struggle for peace. Wilson mentioned fourteen points. Notably, the 14th point foreshadowed the concept of the League of Nations which would later be reintroduced as Wilson’s Ultimate goal to establish during the Paris Conference. Contrary to his goal, American liberal and conservative oppositions fought in regards to the Treaty of Versailles; created by the Big Four: US, Britain, France, and Italy, it would contain
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Conservative Republicans hated the league of Nations and refused to approve the treaty. As result, Wilson’s allies gained an edge in bargaining so that Wilson could meet American interests. This includes maintaining the Monroe Doctrine. France decided to give up claims for the Saar Valley which is a part of Germany. In exchange for this, Britain and America agreed to the Security Treaty which meant that both the US and Britain would defend France if Germany invaded again. Italy wanted Fiume, but debate led to it not getting established. Japan demanded China's Shandong Peninsula and also the German islands of the Pacific it had seized during the war. After Japan threatened to walk out (since they had the bargaining advantage), Wilson accepted a compromise in which Japan kept Germany's economic holdings in Shandong and pledged to return the peninsula to China at a later time. When Germany was forced under the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, they were outraged which made Wilson remove more of his Fourteen Points to make it more acceptable. A quote from The New Republic entails, “Instead of expressing a great recuperative effort of the conscience of civilization, which for its own sins has sweated …show more content…
The Senate had collectively rejected the treaty twice and it was defeated. Document E represents a political cartoon where the US Senate stops Wilson from creating foreign entanglements or the “wedding”. However, Wilson stubbornly decided to settle the treaty issue in the presidential campaign of 1920. W.E.B. Du Bois mentioned in “The League of Nations”, “Because of the idiotic way in which the stubbornness of Woodrow Wilson and the political fortunes of the Republicans became involved, the United States was not represented.”(Document H), for it really seemed like Wilson was only trying to get his way. If voters elected a Democrat, then this would mean the treaty was actually supported. The Republicans chose Senator Warren G. Harding as their presidential candidate for the election of 1920. Their vice-presidential candidate was Governor Calvin Coolidge. Democrats nominated Governor James. M. Cox for president (who was pro-league) and they chose Franklin D. Roosevelt for vice-president. Ironically, Warren Harding won the election of 1920 which led to the final death of the League of Nations. The reason why stubbornness was NOT the greater cause of the treaty’s defeat, is that the stubbornness was only the “icing on the cake” for the political battle between oppositions prevented it or Wilson would have had his
Conservative Republicans hated the league of Nations and refused to approve the treaty. As result, Wilson’s allies gained an edge in bargaining so that Wilson could meet American interests. This includes maintaining the Monroe Doctrine. France decided to give up claims for the Saar Valley which is a part of Germany. In exchange for this, Britain and America agreed to the Security Treaty which meant that both the US and Britain would defend France if Germany invaded again. Italy wanted Fiume, but debate led to it not getting established. Japan demanded China's Shandong Peninsula and also the German islands of the Pacific it had seized during the war. After Japan threatened to walk out (since they had the bargaining advantage), Wilson accepted a compromise in which Japan kept Germany's economic holdings in Shandong and pledged to return the peninsula to China at a later time. When Germany was forced under the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, they were outraged which made Wilson remove more of his Fourteen Points to make it more acceptable. A quote from The New Republic entails, “Instead of expressing a great recuperative effort of the conscience of civilization, which for its own sins has sweated …show more content…
The Senate had collectively rejected the treaty twice and it was defeated. Document E represents a political cartoon where the US Senate stops Wilson from creating foreign entanglements or the “wedding”. However, Wilson stubbornly decided to settle the treaty issue in the presidential campaign of 1920. W.E.B. Du Bois mentioned in “The League of Nations”, “Because of the idiotic way in which the stubbornness of Woodrow Wilson and the political fortunes of the Republicans became involved, the United States was not represented.”(Document H), for it really seemed like Wilson was only trying to get his way. If voters elected a Democrat, then this would mean the treaty was actually supported. The Republicans chose Senator Warren G. Harding as their presidential candidate for the election of 1920. Their vice-presidential candidate was Governor Calvin Coolidge. Democrats nominated Governor James. M. Cox for president (who was pro-league) and they chose Franklin D. Roosevelt for vice-president. Ironically, Warren Harding won the election of 1920 which led to the final death of the League of Nations. The reason why stubbornness was NOT the greater cause of the treaty’s defeat, is that the stubbornness was only the “icing on the cake” for the political battle between oppositions prevented it or Wilson would have had his