View source for Woodrow Wilson

===The Fourteen Points===
On January 8, 1918, Wilson made his famous ''[[Fourteen Points]]'' address, introducing the idea of a League of Nations, an organization with a stated goal of helping to preserve territorial integrity and political independence among large and small nations alike. The speech was highly idealistic, translating Wilson's progressive domestic policy of democracy, self-determination, open agreements, and free trade into the international realm.  Much of the speech was drafted by aide [[Walter Lippmann]]. It made several suggestions for specific disputes in Europe on the recommendation of Wilson's foreign policy advisor, [[Colonel House]], and his team of 150 advisors known as “The Inquiry.”  The points are:

I. Abolition of secret treaties <br />
II. Freedom of the seas <br />
III. Free Trade <br />
IV. Disarmament <br />
V. Adjustment of colonial claims (decolonization and national self-determination) <br />
VI. Russia to be assured independent development and international withdrawal from occupied Russian territory <br />
VII. Restoration of Belgium to antebellum national status <br />
VIII. Alsace-Lorraine returned to France from Germany <br />
IX. Italian borders redrawn on lines of nationality <br />
X. Autonomous development of Austria-Hungary as a nation, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved <br />
XI. Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and other Balkan states to be granted integrity, have their territories deoccupied, and Serbia to be given access to the Adriatic Sea <br />
XII. Sovereignty for the Turkish people of the Ottoman Empire as the Empire dissolved, autonomous development for other nationalities within the former Empire <br />
XIII. Establishment of an independent Poland with access to the sea <br />
XIV. General association of the nations – a multilateral international association of nations to enforce the peace (League of Nations)

The speech was widely hailed by public opinion in the U.S. and Europe, and drove a wedge between the German leaders and the German people, who welcomed Wilson's formula. The French government, however, wanted high reparations from Germany to pay for the past and future costs of the war to France. Britain, as the great naval power, did not want freedom of the seas.  Wilson compromised with [[Clemenceau]], [[Lloyd George]], and many other European leaders during the Paris Peace talks to ensure that most of the point, and especially the fourteenth point, the League of Nations, would be established.