The Fourteen Points and Treaty of Versailles

When Woodrow Wilson came to power as a president, four important elements came to his mind: covenants are kept public, world be kept safe to live in, treat everyone as equals, and allow people to live their own life.   He believed that all people should be allowed to decide their own future; he called this "Self-determination" and he wanted an end to the empires which European countries had built up.   This systematic view showed true to his personality as he formed many visionary acts for the removal of discrimination and removal of struggling powers like the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, which lowered the domination of large corporations.   His ideals for equality, justice, and respect created a continuous draft of policies to make the world a better place.   The fundamental principles that formed these policies combined into one huge peace proposal, which would change the world's outlook onto life and liberty.


On January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson announced the Fourteen Points to abolish the aggressions of war and begin the peace process. He hoped it would help prevent wars in the future.   It stated that freedom is an important aspect to the amity process with the opening of covenants, equality in trade, and independence on the sea.   To begin the process, all countries were to be given a fresh start with their original lands: "Without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired."   Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Poland, Ottoman Empire, and some other countries were to be given proper autonomy to restore and grow to become equal powers with the vast growing world.   The power of the countries needed to be equal; thus, the proposal wished for a reduction of weapons and creation of a network specifying "mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity".   With all these points about balance and fairness, each country would receive equal advantages and disadvantages as any other...