WOODROW WILSON'S 14 POINTS

Woodrow Wilson wanted justice and impartiality to be extended to the defeated powers. He believed that injustice/unfairness on any of the belligerents (countries that fought) would take Europe and indeed the world back to the bad old days of war. It was against this background that he came out with 14 points, which was the basis upon which peace was concluded with Germany and her allies. The points were the outcome of his critical analysis of the causes of World War I and he made sure that they were accepted at the Paris peace conference.
It must be emphasized that Germany surrendered on condition that the 14 points and other statements made by Woodrow Wilson would be the basis of the Versailles peace treaty. Besides the 14 points, Wilson had announced that there shall be no annexations, no reparations, no punitive damages and that free acceptance by the people concerned would be the basis of any settlement. However, these principles were totally violated when the treaty was drafted. Germany and her allies were not invited but called upon to answer charges at the conference.
The treaty of Versailles was not negotiated (as Wilson wanted) but dictated by the victors upon the vanquished (defeated) powers. It was simply presented to Germany and she was asked either to accept it in five days or face an invasion. Germany had no better choice than to sign what she called "dictated peace".
NB. Even at the time of signing the treaty, the German delegates led by its foreign minister were humiliated. They were kept in a hotel behind barbed wires and were not allowed to communicate to anybody. They were escorted in and out of the hall of mirrors where the treaty was signed like criminals escorted to and from the dock by prison warders/policemen.
ASSESSMENT OF WILSON'S 14 POINTS
To understand the composition of the Versailles treaty, it's imperative to examine Wilson's 14points.
We need to assess the extent to which Wilson succeeded in implementing his good ideas considering that his colleagues had bad intentions upon the defeated nations. We therefore analyze whether the 14 points settled the post-war problems and avoided future conflicts or not. Thus;
1. All diplomacy and negotiations between states was to be carried out "Openly, frankly and in public view". He stood for mutual trust and confidence between nations through consultations and settling of disputes openly. This was to avoid secret treaties and alliances that had caused war in 1914. However, this was never implemented since the victor and defeated nations of Europe had very high nostalgia for revenge.
2. Wilson stressed "Absolute freedom of navigation on the seas in peace and war except in territorial water". This was partly due to the fact that naval rivalry and the determination of Germany and Britain to dominate the sea had caused naval race and led to World War I. On this sensitive issue, Wilson was out rightly opposed by Lloyd George of Britain. Britain could easily welcome the destruction and limitation of the German navy but not equality at sea. He argued that a strong navy was a luxury to Germany but a necessity to Britain.
3. He proposed the removal of trade barriers between states in international trade. This is because colonial economic rivalry and the policy of protectionism had partly contributed to the First World War.
This point worked to suit America whose industries and trade were not significantly ruined by the war.
However, other powers were so much devastated by the war that their industries and trade needed tariffs and other protective measures. They therefore rejected the idea after recovering in the long run.
4. Aware that arms race had contributed to World War I, Wilson's 4th point emphasized that nations should give guarantees that they would "disarm to the lowest level consistent with domestic safety".
While this provision was fully applied to Germany and her allies, other powers did not reduce the level of their arms. This gave Hitler an excuse to rearm Germany which resurrected the arms race in the inter war period.
5. Emphasizes impartial adjustment to all colonial claims in the interest of the colonized. Here, the interests and sentiments of the colonized were to be considered equal to those of the governments given to mandate or control. This went without any opposition from Britain, France, Belgium and Japan. This could be explained from the fact that they all wanted to gain from Germany's empire than gain from the colonized people.
6. Germany was to evacuate Russian territories because the Brest-Litovisk treaty of 1917 was forced on Russia by Germany (because Russia was defeated). Russia was to be assisted in every way that she may need and herself desire" for the free determination of her future. This idea went unopposed.
However, the principle of free determination of her future accelerated the success of the 1917 revolution, which upset democratic governance that Wilson and his associates had projected.
7. Evacuation and restoration of Belgium's independence. Belgium was the nucleus of World War I.
Germany and her allies had to withdraw all their forces from Belgium. This was accepted by both Britain and Germany since it was a primary factor why Britain declared war on Germany.
8. Provides for evacuation and restoration of French territory and the righting of the wrongs done to France in 1871 as far as Alsace and Lorraine were concerned. On this point, Wilson was successful since France recovered the two territories and even redressed the wrongs done to her by Prussia at Sedan in 1866. Britain also saw it right and fitting.
9. Provides for re-adjustment of the boarders of Italy "along clearly recognizable lines of authority".
She was a member of the triple alliance but entered the war on the side of triple entente. However, she lost some territories during the war. She had to be rewarded and compensated with some other territories. Wilson did not encounter any opposition since this was in accordance to the principle of nationality and a way of rewarding an ally against the enemy.
10. Point ten States that "all peoples of Austria-Hungary were to be offered the opportunity of independent development". Austria-Hungary was hitherto (until then) made up of about 13 different races. This was a success since Britain and France could not deny democratic governments or obstruct the principle of nationality in Europe. Better still, the dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the new independent states posed no security problem in Europe.
11. Stresses the evacuation and restoration of Serbia, Montenegro, Rumania and an outlet to the sea for Serbia. Political and economic independence was to be granted to even other Balkan states. The allies adopted this point with the hope of settling the historical and contentious issues that had destabilized
Europe. This was finally affected in the treaty of St. German with Austria on Sept 1919.
12. Suggested the readjustment of Turkish territories and breaking up of the Ottoman Empire. Various nationalities under Turkey were to be granted self-governance (independence) while the Turkish population was to form an independent Turkey. The Dardanelles was to be open to ships and merchants of all nations. Wilson was not opposed by Britain or France who stood to benefit from the freedom of navigation and trade with the newly created states. This was later concretized by the treaty of Serves in 1920.
13. States that an independent Poland be created in those areas solely or "indisputably polish" and the Polish state had to be granted a free and secure access to the sea (Adriatic sea). Although this was not 344 % opposed by the allied powers, there is sufficient evidence to justify that the created Poland of 1919 was neither "indisputably" Polish in population nor her access to the sea was without territorial dispute.
Both decisions incorporated and violated Germany's territory. This explains why Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to begin the Second World War.
14. Provides that an international organisation be formed to guarantee the independence of all states both great and small. This gave rise to the League of Nations whose role was very instrumental in maintaining World peace up to 1939.
If the 14 points were followed, Europe would have had peace after 1918. But as noted above, these points were violated. George Clemenceau the ageing premier who was nearly 80years dismissed the 14points cynically calling it "The fourteen (14) commandments" adding a contrast that "The good Lord had only ten," he emphasized the fact that "God gave us Ten Commandments, we broke them, Wilson gave us 14, we shall see",
George Clemenceau had excessive hatred for Germany and the Germans. He had twice seen German invasion of France during his lifetime and never wished to see France attacked for the third time by Germany. He therefore prayed for the destruction of Germany in order to avoid humiliation of France by Germany like in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 - 1871.
Although Lloyd George admired and valued Wilson's 14 points, he could not support him (Wilson) since the English people had a lot of negative feelings towards Germany. George himself had just won an election with a promise to 'Hang the Kaiser and make Germany pay'. These influenced him to support George Clemenceau during the conference. Thus, the difference in opinion between Woodrow
Wilson on one hand, George Lloyd and Clemenceau on the other hand had a lot of influence on the final terms of the Versailles treaty of 1919. In other words, Lloyd George and Clemenceau out competed Woodrow Wilson which made the Versailles treaty very unrealistic in resolving the post-war problems.