THE ARCHITECT OF PEACE

WOODROW WILSON
WOODROW WILSON
~ Born in 1856, Virginia
~ Served as the President of Princeton University
~ Had a Ph.D. in political science and history
~ The 28th President of the United States
1913-1921
~ A former governor of New Jersey
~ His presidency focused on the "New Freedom"
platform, emphasizing antitrust legislation,
tariff reform, and banking reform
~ Passed away in 1924
 THE BEGINNING OF WORLD
WAR I
~ 1914 re-election of Wilson as the President of the US

~ He sought to maintain neutrality in the conflict and

keep the United States out of the conflict
WHY?
~ Aggressive German actions and provocations - events
such as the sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania
by a German U-boat in 1915 and the Zimmermann
Telegram
~ Wilson declared war against Germany
~ The United States officially entered the conflict on
April 6, 1917
~ He justified this decision by emphasizing the need to
make the world "safe for democracy"
 COURSE OF WWI
~ The U.S. Army had just 133,000 members
~ By the end of the Great War 2.8 million men had
inducted into the U.S. military
~ 2 million more Americans voluntarily served in
the armed forces during the conflict
~ October 1917, the first American soldiers entered
combat in France
~ America declared war against Austria-Hungary
~ The war came to an end in November 1918, with a
victory for the Allies, more than 2 million U.S.
troops had served at the Western Front in Europe,
and more than 50,000 of them died
 WILSON’S WWI DIPLOMACY
1) Treaty of Versailles and Fourteen Points:
~ During the U.S. Congress, he outlined his “Fourteen Points” for a postwar
peace settlemen
~ Wilson took part in the post-war negotiations at the Paris Peace
Conference in 1919
~ By personally attending the conference, he became the first sitting U.S.
president to travel to Europe while being in office
~ He helped negotiate the Treaty of Versailles
~ The deal involved setting up the League of Nations, a group designed to
settle conflicts between nations and avoid future wars
~ Wilson was the initiator of the League
~ He believed it would be the cornerstone of the post-war world order
FOURTEEN POINTS
Wilson presented his "Fourteen Points," a set of principles
outlining his vision for post-war peace. These points included
self-determination, open diplomacy, Ffreedom of the Seas,
free trade, disarmament, colonial self-determination,
territorial integrity, no punitive measures, and the
establishment of the League of Nations

CHALLENGES
Opposition to the Versailles treaty from isolationist Republicans in
Congress
The president embarked on a cross-country speaking tour to
promote his ideas for the League directly to the American people
The Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles, primarily due to
concerns about U.S. sovereignty and involvement in international
affairs
 CONCLUSION :
~ Woodrow Wilson's activities during World War I
reflect a complex stance consisting of diplomatic efforts,
ethical considerations, and challenges in balancing
idealism with geopolitical realities
~ His advocacy for a new world order shaped the
discourse on international relations in the post-war era
~ Despite the Senate's rejection and the U.S. not joining
the League of Nations, Wilson's ideas left a lasting legacy
- his vision for international collaboration and the
principles outlined in the Fourteen Points influenced
subsequent diplomacy

source : https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/woodrow-wilson#woodrow-wilson-s-second-administration-world-war-i