President Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points (1918) - Essay Example

WILSON 14 POINT SPEECH MADE TO A JOINT SESSION JANUARY 8, 1918" By 31st March 31st March2014"WILSON 14 POINT SPEECH MADE TO A JOINT SESSION JANUARY 8, 1918" The Wilson 14 points speech made a great mark in the history. The purpose of this speech was to make peace and not war. Wilson was against war and its destructions and wanted to create international cooperation among the countries. His fourteen points were the basis of reducing the arms and the destruction caused by wars. Wilson proposed freedom of trade, shipment and travel.

He believed that nations should diplomatically voice and solve their disputes rather than starting a war. The major nations and their leaders were dubious of the practicality of president Wilson’s fourteen points speech. The Allies were forced to sign off as post First World War the allies were dependent on the United States for not only military and arms but also for fuel, food and other basic requirements. However, only some of the Wilson 14 points made it to acceptance particularly five of them the rest were rejected on the event of being overly ambitious and unrealistic.

The impracticality of these points dominated the Great European powers and the experiences of wartime. Apart from the Russian evacuation and the Belgium restoration the other points created more negative vibe than positive effects. For example, the settlement of colonial claims, the French disputed territories; the Italy border adjustments based on nationality etc. all caused more tension and new national disputes rather than solving any problems. Thus not all the points presented by the President were fruitful in generating world peace.

The most important point in my view and according to the historical perspective is the last point. ‘Establishment of the League of Nations to secure mutual guarantees of independence and territorial integrity.’ ("President Wilsons Fourteen Points"). This League of Nations was formed through the start of the Second World War and aimed at diluting national sovereignty and creating global and international government. However, this did not materialize as per the speech but this point was the backbone of the 14 points speech by the President Wilson in 1918.

Works Cited"President Wilsons Fourteen Points." WW1. N.p., 28 Feb 2008. Web. 31 Mar 2014. .