GabeReber

Dr.AnthonyKaye
HIST021U
21November2014
WoodrowWilsonsPostWarPolicy:RevolutionaryorGroundless?
WorldWarIisoneofthemoreimportantandinfluentialwarsinUnitedStateshistory.
Manynewweaponsandtechnologiesenteredintowidespreaduseduringthiswar,suchastanks
andfighterjets.Also,manynewstrategieswereusedinfightingtheGreatWarduetohow
unprecedentedaconflictofthisscalewas.IntermsofAmericanhistory,thiswasalsoessentially
thefirsttimethattheUnitedStateshadconsiderableinfluenceonatrulyglobalscale.
Traditionally,theUnitedStatesdescribeditselfasmoreofanisolationiststate,soglobal
influencewasanovelresponsibility.AftertheAllieswonthewar,theAmericanpresident,
WoodrowWilsonalongwiththegovernmentsofotherAlliednationsfoundhimselfina
positionofpowerhehadtoformulateaplanindealingwiththeformerCentralPowers.
Tofigureouthowtodealwiththeirformerfoes,AlliedleadersmetinFrancetodiscussa
possibletreaty.WhatcameoutofthisconferencewastheTreatyofVersaillesoneofthemost
importantdocumentsofthe20thcentury.WoodrowWilsonplayedalargepartinthe
developmentandexecutionofthistreaty.However,theeffectivenessandpotentialramifications
ofWilsonsvisionwhiledevelopingtheTreatyofVersaillesandmanyofhisotherpolicieshas
beenunderdebateamongscholarsandhistoriansformostofthedecadessincethetreatys
implementation.InhisessayWoodrowWilson:FatheroftheFuture,historianRobertA.
PastorlooksatWilsonsidealisticapproachtopostwarpolicyinapositiveway.Criticsof

PresidentWilsonsstrategiesincludehistoriansWalterMcDougall,withhisessayWoodrow
Wilson:EgocentricCrusader,andMargaretMacMillan,inherbook
Peacemakers
.After
analysisofeachsource,however,itcanbeconcludedthattheMacMillanbookhasthemost
solidhistoricalevidencesupportingitsthesis,usingabalanceoffirsthandaccountsand
hindsight.
Inhisessay,RobertPastoreffectivelydefendsWilsoninmanyways.Forone,he
describesWilsonsvisionasonethatwasquintessentiallyAmerican(184).Pastorstatesthat,
althoughtheAmericannationhadconsidereditselfmoreisolationistformostofitshistoryupto
thatpoint,aslewofpoliciesaroundthattimeshowedapatternofadifferentkind:thesenew
policiesweremeanttoaffecttheworld,notjusttheUnitedStates.HecitesTheodoreRoosevelts
refusaltoseizeCubaaftertheSpanishAmericanwarasanexampleofthewaythattheUnited
Stateswaschangingthewayforeignpolicywascarriedout.Therefore,manyofWoodrow
WilsonsmoralisticmissionsweremeritedandinlinewiththequintessenceoftheAmerican
story.Wilsonwasalargeproponentofpeacewithoutvictory,aconceptthatwasrelatively
newontheworldstage.Withthis,PastordepictsWilsonasanidealistagainsttheoldfashioned
Europeanswho,liketheyhaddoneforcenturies,plannedoninvokingpunishmentonthelosers
oftheGreatWar.Pastordescribeshowhispolicyhaddissentersaroundtheglobe,aswellasin
hisownCongress.Withthesepeoplestandinginhisway,hewasnotabletoreachthefullextent
ofhisvision.
AnotherreasonableargumentthatPastorputsforthisoneofinfluenceWilsonsplanof
aLeagueOfNations,althoughfailingatthetimeitwasputforth,wasanobviousstarting
pointforthesubsequentUnitedNations.InhisproposalofsuchaLeague,Wilson,asproclaimed

byPastor,definednewgoals...andnewinstruments...tosecurethesegoalsofworldpeaceand
freedom.(191).AccordingtoPastor,Wilsonwastheoriginatorofwhatwouldlaterbecome
typicalAmericaninternationalism.Inthis,hisidealismwassuccessful.
OneoftheproblemswithPastorsargumentisthatthereisanapparentlackoffirsthand
accountsofWilsonandhispoliticalideas.AlmosteveryquotethatheusesisfromWilson
himself,andoftencitespositivereactionstoWilsonsactionswithoutprovidingevidence.Also,
hesomewhatignoresthefailureoftheLeagueofNations,whichmanybelievetobeafailureof
largeproportions.Whileitmayhavelaidgroundworkforsubsequentandbetterinitiatives,it
wasforallintentsandpurposesanineffectivemotioncarriedoutinanineffectiveway.
HistorianWalterMcDougalltakesamuchmorecriticalapproachofPresidentWilsonin
hisessay.Rightoffthebat,heprovidesascathingreviewofmanyoftheformerPresidents
qualities.HederidesWilsonasasuperstitious,overlyoptimistic,andunreasonableman,citing
manyofhisbehaviorsoutsidetherealmofpolitics.OneofMcDougallsmainargumentsisthat
Wilsonloved,craved,andinasenseglorifiedpower(179),andaltogetherinamuchtoo
moralisticandirrationalway.HetalksabouthowWilsonrejectedanyforeignpolicywhichwas
formaterialgain,andattackshimforsuggestingthatapolicywasjustandprudentonlyifit
servedplatonicabstractions(180).McDougallproceedstoquotemanyofWilsonsEuropean
contemporariesmanyofthesequotescanbedescribedasscornfulandstinging.Theseaccounts
oftheWilsonianpersonalityarepotentandevokeimagesofarealnightmareofaman.
InregardstotheLeagueCovenantaddontotheTreatyofVersailles,McDougall
critiquesWilsonsrefusaltocompromiseoncertainissues,sayingthatthetreatycouldhavebeen
ratifiedhadWilsonagreedtoworkwithrevisionists.Wilsonwaswidelyquotedatthetimeas

sayingIwillconsenttonothing...TheSenatemusttakeitsmedicine(183).McDougallalso
describeshowmanymembersofCongressactuallyagreedwithmostofthedocument,butthe
fewitemsthatWilsonwouldnotbackdownonforcedthemtodissent,and,essentially,killthe
Leaguebeforeitwasconceived.Intheend,McDougallmakesmanyassaultsonWilsons
personality,claimingthatthemanwastooidealisticandtooimpracticaltobetakenseriously.
Thissomewhatunderminesthecredibilityoftheessay,whereMcDougallfocusesmuchofhis
negativeenergyonWilsonscharacter,evenwhenhispolicyhasbecomethemaintalkingpoint
oftheessay.
WhileMacMillanisnotasaccusatoryasMcDougallofWilsoninherbook,
Peacemakers
,shestilldoesntpullherpunches.Inthefirstchapterofher500+pagebook,she
getsrightdowntodescribingPresidentWilsonasegocentricandpowerhungry.Like
McDougall,sheusesquotesfromEuropeanpoliticians,likeonefromtheFrenchambassadorin
Washington,whodescribedWilsonasamanwho,hadhelivedacouplecenturiesago,would
havebeenthegreatesttyrantintheworld,becausehedoesnotseemtohavetheslightest
conceptionthathecaneverbewrong(13).MacMillanalsogoesintogreatdetailabouthow
manyofWilsonsactionsduringthepeacetalksinFrancewerecontroversialathome,e.g.the
choiceofbringingalong5delegatesthatwerefriendlytohisvisionanddupingthedissenting
DemocratsandRepublicans.
Peacemakers
then,laterinthebook,goesintogreatdetailaboutthe
peacetalksinFrance,aswellasWilsonsparticipationinsaidtalks.
Atthisconference,WilsonpushedhisLeagueCovenantstrongly,refusingtohearmany
proposalsthatdidntmentionhisbelovedidea.MacMillandescribestheLeagueofNationswith
ferventnegativity,quippingthatitishardtodaytoimaginethatsuchaprojectcouldbetaken

seriously(92).AccordingtoMacMillan,themerementionoftheLeagueofNationsevokes
imagesofearnestbureaucrats,fuzzyliberalsupporters,futileresolutions...and,aboveall,
failure.Sheisnot,however,asskepticalaboutitsmissionshedescribeshowtheLeague
proposalwasasuccessfulpredictorofthedirectionthatAmericanforeignpolicywasheaded.
Shealsogivesreasonsthatthisshiftwasoccurringwarwasbecomingverycostlyforevery
partyinvolved,insteadofjustthedefeated,anditwasinglobalinteresttocurbwar.Ultimately.
MacMillanrecognizedtheprescienceofWilsonsvision,butfoundhimtobethewrongperson
tohaveproposedsaidvision,citinghisineffectivepoliticalstrategiesandthestructuringofthe
Leagueitself.Thisisaverysturdythesis,sinceitishardtodenythathecameupwiththeideaof
theUnitedNationsthreedecadesbeforeabonafideversionwasputintoplace.
Incomparingthesethreetexts,itiseasytofinddifferencesintoneandqualityofthesis.
Pastorsessayiscelebratory,albeitsomewhatignorantoftheopposingargument.Aswas
mentionedbefore,theessayalsolacksexamplesofwhatperiodpoliticiansthoughtofWilsons
politics.McDougallspieceisstylisticallyaggressiveitattacksmanyaspectsofWilsons
presidencyinconvincingandinterestingways,butatcertainpointsfocusesmoreonintangibles
asopposedtoactualpoliticaldiscourse.Uponcloseanalysis,MacMillansbookseemstobeless
faultythanthetwoessays.Whenpresentinginformation,shedoessoinawaythatsupportsher
thesis,butisnotbiasedinwhichinformationsheincludes.Sheconcedesargumentsthatshe
obviouslycantwin,likehow,inallofitsabstractglory,theLeagueofNationswas
fundamentallyagoodidea.Also,
Peacemakers
,beingabookasopposedtoashortessay,isable
tofleshoutitsreasoningwithmuchmoreclarityandcomprehension.Whiletheessaysare,in
manyways,builtaroundinterpretiveclaimsmadebythehistorianhimself,
Peacemakers
statesa

thesisandthenpresentsyouwithsupportinginformation.ThismakesMacMillansargument
moreconvincingandsubstantial.
WoodrowWilsonisapresidentthatis,andwas,surroundedbyendlessopinionand
judgement.Toputitsimply:youeitherlovehimorhatehim.Manyhistoriansareeitherstrongly
proWilsonorvehementlyagainsthim.Thisphenomenonisvisibleinthetwoessaysanalyzedin
thispaper.Whatwasdonein
Peacemakers
byMargaretMacMillan,however,wassomething
morecredible.MacMillanshedherbiaseswhilewritingherbook,insteadpresentingcold,hard
factsandevidencetosupportherclaims.Whiletheessayistsdidusehistoricalevidence,itwas
notascomprehensiveasthatfoundin
Peacemakers
.Inconclusion,MacMillansbookisoneof
thepremiersourcesonthecontroversyoverWoodrowWilsonspostwarpolitics,andmakesup
forsomeoftheweaknessesthatcanbefoundinshorteressaysand/oropinionpiecesonthe
topic.