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AP US History Essay: Woodrow Wilson
AP US History Essay: Woodrow Wilson
Mr. Gillard
AP US History
22 February 2007
Woodrow Wilson
As World War I was being fought, Woodrow Wilson was elected to his second
term of presidency. Throughout the war and even afterwards, Wilson centered on it, but
would have been more successful if he hadn’t been and steadfast in his beliefs. He would
not have failed as horribly as he did if he had been willing to bend his ideas to make oth
ers happy. His goals for postwar dealings with Europe intensified his failing in achieving
those goals.
After World War I had ended Wilson took a trip to Paris to help work out the
Treaty of Versailles. He only took with him a handful of Democrats, his first mistake. If
he had taken Republicans with him to Paris, he would have had better luck in “selling” his
Fourteen Points to France and Britain.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points were goals he wanted to achieve with the League of Na
tions. The consisted of abolition of secret treaties, freedom of the seas and establishing
Poland as an independent country, as well as eleven other aims to bring peace to the
world. When the Fourteen Points ideas failed in Europe, Wilson brought it home to the
US. The Fourteen Points failed in Congress mainly because of Wilson’s inability to admit
that he may be wrong. The Reservationists, lead by H.C. Lodge would support the Four
teen Points, but only if they were changed or altered in some way. More of Congress
would have probable been more willing to vote for it, if Wilson had made the adjust
ments. When the Fourteen Points failed in Congress, Wilson decided to take it to the
people of the United States. Sadly, that failed as well and ended with Wilson having a
stroke, but if Wilson had only agreed to change the Points, his battle would have ended
sooner and his goal would have been achieved.
Wilson’s upbringing contributed to his failure in his postwar goals because of his
inability to change his ideas and admit his was wrong. If Wilson had been more receptive
to the Reservationists and the Europeans than he would have had more success and would
not have failed as badly as he did.