What Was Woodrow Wilson's Ideals In The Treaty Of Versailles

Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, was a key influencer of policy regarding Germany at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Without Wilson, reparations paid by Germany to Britain and France would have been much more punitive and the consequences all the more severe. Wilsons ideals were made clear in his “Fourteen Points” speech were he states that, “We do not wish to injure her or to block in any way her legitimate influence or power.” Wilson’s intention is to reduce tension in Europe and to make sure that Germany could not resume hostilities. Unlike Great Britain and France, Wilson does not want Germany to pay more than she can afford. If left up to France and Great Britain, Germany would not have been very stable after
While we are dealing with two conflicting sides, Wilson against France and Great Britain who would want every last penny they thought Germany should repay for their war losses. While it was the public opinions in France and Great Britain to extort every last penny from Germany Clemenceau and especially Lloyd George knew that doing this was not very wise.When looking at reparations, how did Wilson change, negate, or just out right condemned French and British claims for reparations? Was Wilson successful in implementing his ideals in the Treaty of Versailles? Wilson was a very influential man who could have made Clemenceau and Lloyd George follow his fourteen points to the tee, but Wilson did not do this. When it came down to the amount Germany would have to pay to France and Great Britain, it was obvious that Wilson’s idea of reparations was to be a fair and affordable number to Germany. Lloyd George, the more moderate of the three wanted Great Britain to be repaid war losses but without crippling Germany. France would make absurd claims of damages in order to extract everything Germany had
The problem after the war was that almost every European Allied power was in debt. France owed 4 billion dollars to the United States and 3 billion to Great Britain. Great Britain who was a major lender was also in a tough situation, owing the United States 4.7 billion along with loaning money to Russia which she defaulted on. The situation was not pleasant in post-war Europe was not well off financially. The United States was not willing to cut her European allies a break in what they owe and for that reason Great Britain and France was keen on receiving reparations from Germany. Because the United States wanted her money she loaned back, she removed herself from any claim to the reparations collected from Germany. By not staking a claim in the reparations, the United States makes it easier for Great Britain and France to repay her. The position taken by the United States congress makes it difficult for Wilson to prevent the other allies from imposing too much on Germany. Wilson did attempt to use his influence to negate the final amount imposed on Germany but for the most part were unsuccessful. One of these attempts was trying to make Lloyd George see that it would be more honorable not demand more from Germany, but with an election in the horizon, he continued to promise that he will make Germany pay for the war. Wilson eluded that if Germany were to be