NAME DATE ciass Analyzing Primary Sources \, oa Activity netwerks World War I and Its Aftermath, 1914-1920 Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech to Congress, January 8, 1918 Background President Wilson first presented his Fourteen Points in a speech to Congress on January 8, 1918. When the fighting stopped on November 11, 1918, the Germans signed an armistice. Designed to prevent another war, the Fourteen Points became part of the peace negotiations held at the Palace of Versailles the following year. ‘The first five of the Fourteen Points dealt with eliminating the conditions that led to the war while the next eight points dealt with the right of national self-determination, or the idea that the borders of countries should be based on ethnicity and national identity to help secure peace. The last of the Fourteen Points was the most important to Wilson, but was also among the most controversial. It called for the formation of an international association to promote world peace. While Germany agreed to all Fourteen Points, it was the Allies who had major disagreements with the pian. The major issues were territory and reparations: the British didn’t believe in complete freedom of the seas, and the British and French felt that Germany should be punished and pay severe reparations. During the next five months, the original Fourteen Points were slowly eroded, but a peace agreement was finally signed on June 28, 1919. The final treaty punished Germany harshly—and even blamed Germany for the war. sctions: Read the excerpt from President Wilson’s Fourteen Points speech to Congress. Then answer the questions that follow. We have no jealousy of German greatness, and there is nothing in this program that impairs it, We grudge her no achievement or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise such as have made her record very bright and very enviable. We do not wish to injure her or to block in any way her legitimate influence or power. We do not wish to fight her elther with arms or with hostile arrangements of trade, if she is willing to associate herself with us and the other peace-loving nations of the world in covenants of justice and law and fair dealing. We wish her only to accept a place of equality among the peoples of the world—the new world in which we now live—instead of a place of mastery. United States History and Geography: Modern Times ug en woosnep a onpod cu pum mend TUT ee Ha bUdEDNAME are Analyzing Primary Sources Ac ity Cont. World War I and Its Aftermath, 1914-1920 Critical Thinking 1. Why would Wilson’s feelings toward Germany not be popular with his French and British counterparts? 2. Rewrite this section of Wilson's speech to reflect the attitude of the French at the time. 3. How do you think the Germans felt when the Fourteen Points they had initially agreed to changed so dramatically? 4, Was the first line of the excerpt from Wilson's speech still true after the peace talks at Versailles? What had changed? 5. Wilson was so determined to gain support for the League of Nations that he was willing to sacrifice other parts of the Fourteen Points, Judging by the passage, what was he hoping a League of Nations would achieve? United States History.and Geography: Modern Times 44Wilson’s 14 Point Plan 1. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived a, after which there shell be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and inthe public view. II Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, ouside territorial waters, alike in peace and in war, except a the seas may be closed in whole or in part by international action forthe enforcement of intemational covenants. IIL The removal, s0 far as possible, ofall economic bariers and the establishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance. TV, Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced tothe lowest point consistent with domestic safety V.A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment ofall colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the prineple that in determining all such questions of sovereignty the interests ofthe populations concemed must have equal weight With the equitable claims ofthe government whose tle i o be determined, VL The evacuation ofall Russian territory and such a setlement of all questions affecting Russi as will secure the best and ffeest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity forthe independent determination of her own politcal development and national policy and assure her ofa sincere weleome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and, more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she ‘may need and may herself desire The trestment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to come willbe the acid test Of their good wil, oftheir comprehension of her nceds as distinguished from their own interests, and of ther intelligent and ‘unselfish sympathy. VIL. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacusted and restored, without any attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of ther relations with one another. ‘Without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired VILL. All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Alsace-Lotraine, whieh has unsottled the peace of the world for nearly fifty years, should be righted, in order thet peace may once more be made secure in the interes of al. 1X. A readjustment of the frontiers of laly shouldbe effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality 1X. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish fo see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to eutonomous development. XI. Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated; ocoupied territories restored; Serbia accorded free and secure acess 1 the sea; and the relations ofthe severe Balkan states to one another determined by friendly counse| along historically tablished lines of ellegiance and nationality; and international guarantees of the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan states should be entered int, XIL.The Turkish portion ofthe present Ottoman Empite should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which fare now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of ‘autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of a! ‘ations under international guarantees XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be asured a fee and secute acess to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant. XIV. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants forthe purpose of efording mutual guarantees of independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alikeWilson's 14 Point Plan 1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at"). 2. Free navigation of all seas. 3. An end to all economic barriers between countries. 4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers. 5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial 6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to develop her own political set-up. 7. Belgium should be independent like before the war. 8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace- Lorraine 9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to “along clearly recognisable lines of nationality." 10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary. 11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for the Balkan states. 12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves. 13, An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea. 14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.