We waited. We watched. We pledged peace until the last possible moment. When America entered the Great War in 1917, we were the only world power that still had energy to give. The other nations involved in the war, including France, Germany, Japan, and Russia, were exhausted by 1917—their resources disappearing fast and their peoples’ hopes fading into oblivion. Because of this, the U.S.A. had a decided advantage when it jumped into the tussle. America joined the war for various reasons, contrary to Wilson’s declaration that we were going to war in opposition to oppressive governments—joining, along with France and England, Russia, a country ruled by a cruel and iron-fisted dictatorship, which is certainly a funny paradox. During the first few years of the war, we had ties to England that strongly compromised our proclamation of neutrality. First of all, America was selling goods the British. Because England had blockaded Germany’s ports, America was unable to trade with Germany. However, America did not put up a great fight to this fact, as they were enjoying the economic benefits of selling to England. This rubbed Germany the wrong way. America also had developed a strong enmity towards the Germans since the German submarine, or “U-boat” blew up the Lusitania, a British passenger liner which, unbeknownst to its passengers, was carrying a large store of munitions. However, the American passengers on board had been warned by Germany not to travel on British vessels during wartime. Regardless, America was furious at Germany and wanted to avenge the over-hundred American casualties. As England was America’s mother-country, there were already established roots to their culture, with a shared language, inherited religious traditions, and similar customs of all kinds. For all of these reasons, England had slowly crept from its seat of neutrality towards the defense of the British and the Triple Alliance.
When America declared an Alliance with England, France, and Russia, it must have come as a glorious aid—a miracle to know that help was on its way. President Wilson must have felt that America was a sort of savior to the Triple Alliance, and he must have expected that if they were victorious, as they surely would be, England, France, and Russia would be greatly indebted to America and would want to repay it as soon as possible.
When the war ended, America, who had experienced the least damage to its economy and people, had established itself as a significant world power. Wilson brought his 14 points to the table, probably expecting that England and France would be ready to accommodate his demands for a League of Nations immediately. He was dead wrong. The Prime Minister, David Lloyd George of Great Britain and Premier Georges Clemenceau of France were reluctant to give in to Wilson’s 14 points, including his desire to assemble a League of Nations. Clemenceau’s view was, “God gave us the Ten Commandments, and we broke them. Wilson gives us Fourteen Points, We shall see.” Although Britain and France did have a sense of debt to America, they had an even greater sense of wanting glory and justice for what they had gone through during the war. Wilson called for “Peace without Victory”, but after a long and bloody war, Britain and France weren’t ready to settle down, forgive Germany, and forget the past. They wanted justice, and so they felt heavy resignation toward Wilson for demanding his 14 points and asking them all to kiss and makeup.
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