President Woodrow Wilson's 14 points and the League of Nations

After WWI, the countries involved in the war set out to create a a treaty. This treaty was called the Treaty of Versailles and President Wilson hoped to add his 14 points to the treaty and set up a League of Nations that would guarantee world peace and collective security. Wilson had an internationalist  perspective that many Americans, especially Republicans, did not share. His 14 points had three main parts: rules for international conduct, self determination, and the League of Nations (a general association of nations to promote collective security and resolve conflicts). At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 the "Big Four" met (Britain, France, U.S, and Italy) and it was clear that Britain and France wanted to punish Germany and make them pay for the war that had taken many lives and destroyed much of their resources. Italy wanted the land they were promised and that left the U.S led by Wilson as the only country that did not want to punish Germany. The U.S had lost the least men and had not been in the war as long as the others and it was clear to see why Wilson would promote peace and a "war without victory". The topics discussed at the Paris Peace Conference ranged from reparations Germany would have to pay and war guilt to Wilson's ideas for self-determination and peace. Wilson was overly-confident that his perspective would win over the rest, but as the conference progressed he was met with large opposition. Wilson not only faced opposition from other nations but also from members of the Republican party who disagreed with the idea of collective security (article 10) and thought that the league would pull the U.S into unnecessary war. The people who would never support the treaty were called irreconcilables. Those would accept the treaty under certain revisions were called reservationists. Wilson made the mistake of not taking any republicans with him to the Paris Conference and as they had won the Senate and where in charge of ratifying treaties most of them were already against the treaty. Wilson was set on not compromising and decided to turn his back on the reservationists. He thought his ideas were the only way to guarantee peace so he decided to embark on a nationwide tour, promoting his 14 points to rally American support. A major reason Wilson was so set on his points was the moral guilt he would feel if he failed those who had fought in the war for the ideas of world peace and no more war. He was also not in the best state of health and was a bit delirious so the combination of conditions surrounding his tour were likely to end up disastrous and they did. He suffered a severe stroke and had to end his tour abruptly. Wilson's 14 points were rejected in the vote and so was the Treaty of Versailles. The main point of Wilson's 14 points, The League of Nations, did form, just without it;s founder, the U.S.