Wilson in the Aftermath of World War I

President Wilson created his Fourteen Points in the aftermath of World War I.  The first five points laid out rules for international conduct. For example, it asserted freedom of the seas, arms control and no secret negotiation. Points 6 through 13 talked about self-determination, which led to the creation of many new European nations after the Paris Peace Conference. Point 14 organized the League of Nations, an organization of countries to encourage collective security. At the Paris Peace Conference, hundreds of countries were present, but only four were considered big players: Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. The British wanted to maintain their empire; they did not care if other countries accepted self-determination, but it was not to happen to their own empire. They also wanted to fortify their own position and punish Germany to some degree. The French wanted to punish and weaken Germany to an extreme, while Italy just wants land. The British and the French want Germany to formally accept “war guilt,” as outlined in Article 231. Wilson’s major victory in this conference was the acceptance of the League of Nations. His fourteen points were not accepted by the other nations as they were not representative of reality.