The Fulfilling And Reflection Of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

This paper discusses the complete process of the forming,practice andabortion of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, meanwhile analyses thecauses, and finally reflects on the influence of public opinion for thepracticing of the foreign policy.Chapter one expatiates the practice of the Fourteen Points. In Jan.,1918, American President Wilson put forward the Peace Settlement whichcalled "the Fourteen Points" to Congress. Base on which he led theArmistice Agreement between belligerents, the Fourteen Points hadbeen fulfilled elementary. On the Paris Peace Conference, Wilson madegreat efforts, as a result of which the Versailles Treaty embodied theFourteen Points by and large, even if it was compromised. Finally theCovenant was refused by Congress of the United States, which declaredthe lost of the Fourteen Points.Chapter two discusses why the Fourteen Points was defeated. Fromdomestic polity, it could be the strong attitude of public opinion,Republican provocation and the inconsistency between administrationand legislative. The factors that made Wilson concession were as follows:being short of powerful strength on politics and military, the policy itselfnot having advantage at home, distrusting the new Germany government,the need to make Europe steady as soon as possible and to constitute theLeague of Nations. Chapter three analyses the influence what public opinion andnationalism gave birth to Wilson and his Fourteen Points and the relationbetween them and state foreign policy. Public opinion and nationalismbrought great influence in the course, especially when they were used toattack Wilson's policy by Republicans. Thus it can be seen that publicopinion is so important to foreign policy that we must deal with properly.