Woodrow Wilson And The Paris Peace Conference Analysis

Woodrow Wilson and the Paris Peace Conference Prompted by the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by the Serbian government, World War I erupted like wildfire in 1914. With Britain, France, and Russia on one side, and Germany, Austria-Hungry and Italy on the other, war waged throughout the continent. With the public having no desire to enter the combat, America sat on the sidelines as battle ensued. President Woodrow Wilson of the United States, unlike his constituents, saw WWI as an opportunity to emerge as a superpower in the 20th century. After mobilizing popularity for America’s entrance into war with his Fourteen Points Address, Americans and Europeans alike were eager to watch Wilson play peace maker as war came
The majority of Americans had no interest in joining in the war, carrying the belief that conflict was inevitable overseas and they should mind their own business on this side of the Atlantic. Initially, the U.S. government was on board with the public, happy and eager to avoid war costs. However, as war persisted on and time passed, President Woodrow Wilson saw an opportunity to strategically position America to become a superpower in the 20th century. Professor Robert Hannigan, PhD. of Suffolk University describes the United States gradual, tactical entrance into WWI as beginning with outward U.S. support for Great Britain in the form of trade. The plan was furthered in 1915 with the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine while it sailed from New York back to England. This significant loss of American life caused tensions to rise between the U.S. and Germany. The final straw came in 1917 when Germany rescinded its promise to only fire at enemy submarines, and threatened to sink anything that came into British waters. “The world must be made safe for democracy,” said Wilson; and with this mantra the U.S. entered WWI (65th Cong., 1st sess., doc. 5). With entrance into the war Wilson was able to obtain the opportunity he sought to become a major player in world policy. In January 1918, the President delivered the Fourteen Points Address. The address outlined what he planned to see in the post-war
While the American people wished to stay out of Europe’s affairs, Woodrow Wilson saw WWI as a way for the United States to gain respect and prestige in the 20th century. Running with this idea, Wilson patiently waited for the best and most precise time to enter the war. When Germany declared that it would sink any submarine in British waters, Wilson made his move. Wartime commenced in the U.S., with pro-war propaganda and motivational speeches such as the Fourteen Points infiltrating American life. With most of the European nations already gravely weakened by combat expenses, fighting came to a halt shortly after the United States joined the war effort. The Paris Peace Conference, set-up to establish the treaty necessary to officially conclude WWI, should have been Wilson’s time to shine, but instead ended with a sharp decline in his credibility and approval. Keeping much of the proceedings of the conference private, Wilson alienated the American people, leading them to doubt their trust in the Commander in Chief, and their support for the League of Nations, an international organization aimed to keep peace and promote global open-door policy. Members of Congress were just as concerned with the President’s handling of information in Paris, the terms and, and the legal obligations of joining the League of