1. Woodrow Wilson The Fourteen Point Peace Plan

2. Background
The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States on 8 January 1918.
In his speech, Wilson intended to set out a plan for lasting peace in Europe after WWI.
The idealism displayed in the speech gave Wilson a position of moral leadership among the Allies, and encouraged the Central Powers to surrender.

3. The speech was delivered over 10 months before the armistice with Germany ended WWI, but the Fourteen Points became the basis for the terms of the German surrender, as negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and the basis for the Treaty of Versailles.
However, only four of the points were adopted completely and the US Senate refused to ratify (pass) the Treaty of Versailles.

4. What does Woodrow Wilson want in his speech below? (3 marks)
We entered this war because violations of right had occurred which touched us to the quick and made the life of our own people impossible unless they were corrected and the world secured once and for all against their recurrence.
What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression.
All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.

5. What were the principles underlying Wilson’s Fourteen Points?
Read p.13
Just peace with a legal framework within which states could deal openly. (Distrust of Old World diplomacy)
Self-determination
Autonomous development
Germany should take some responsibility for repairing damage to the countries she invaded
Free trade
International peace keeping force to ensure peace in future disputes
Code or Highlight your 14 points to illustrate these underlying views

6. Further research….Use any of the following links to read the points and the arguments about them…