Socials 11
Ms. Matthews
Wilson’s 14 Points & the Failure of the League of Nations
Woodrow Wilson made these recommendations for political and economic
reconstruction:
1. Open covenants of peace in which there shall be no private international
understandings of any kind.
2. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, except by international action for
the enforcement of international covenants.
3. The removal so far as possible of all economic barriers, and the establishment of
an equality of trade conditions among all the nations.
4. The reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with domestic
safety. An impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon the principle
that the interests of the populations concerned must be considered.
5. An impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon the principle that the
interests of the populations concerned must be considered.
6. The evacuation of all Russian territory, and Russia to be given the opportunity for
the independent determination of its own political development and national
policy.
7. The evacuation and restoration of Belgium.
8. All French territory freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done
to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine should be righted.
9. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy to be effected along clearly recognizable
lines of nationality.
10. The assurance that the peoples of Austria-Hungary be accorded the freest
opportunity for autonomous development.
11. The evacuation of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro; the restoration of occupied
territories; and the assurance of free and secure access to the sea for Serbia.
12. The assurance that the Turkish portions of the present Ottoman Empire be given
an opportunity for autonomous development, and the Dardanelles be permanently
opened.
13. The formation of an independent Polish state which would be assured a free and
secure access to the sea.
14. The formation of a general association of nations for the purpose of affording
mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and
small states alike. All states must undertake to deal collectively with any threat to
peace whenever it occurs.
Why did the League Fail?
From the very start, the absence of the United States was a crippling blow to the League.
It was from then onwards deprived of the leadership and authority of the world’s greatest
power. It is probable that Britain and France could have filled the gap left by the USA –
if they had made a real effort to make the League succeed. These major powers,
however, were more interested in making deals which by-passed the League altogether.
They were reluctant to use their power to make the organization stronger, afraid that they
would be faced with a decision with which they did not agree. Other great powers also
played little part in the League. Germany was not allowed to join until 1926 and she left
in 1933 when the World Disarmament Conference, set up by the League, collapsed.
Without an army to enforce its ‘military sanctions’ the League was powerless against the
aggressive dictatorships of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The one European nation that was
willing to make a stand against Hitler, the Soviet Union, did join the League in 1934. But
it saw the weakness of Britain and France as Hitler repeatedly broke the Treaty of
Versailles which the League was supposed to safeguard. The feebleness of the response
of Britain and France to the occupation of the Rhineland (1936) and the Anschluss with
Austria (1938) convinced Stalin that the West would never oppose Nazism. In 1939
Stalin and Hitler signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact. The League of Nations ended its short life
without a whimper. Unfortunately for the history of the world, it also went out with a
bang.
Appeasement
The policy of Neville Chamberlain and those, including the French government, who
supported him, was called ‘appeasement’. The idea was that Hitler had certain
reasonable demands and that if people gave into him, he would eventually be satisfied
and a general war would be avoided. In any case, it was believed by many that the
British and French people would not be willing to fight another war; nor were their armed
forces prepared. Those, like Winston Churchill, who opposed appeasement, thought that
Hitler was anything but a reasonable man and that, like any other bully, the sooner
people stood up to him the better.
As soon as Hitler had secured full power in Germany in 1934 he set about building up
powerful armed forces. This was, of course, in complete defiance of the Versailles
settlement. This rapid increase in the size of the ‘Wehrmacht’ (the Germany army)
particularly worried France. The creation of the ‘Luftwaffe’ (the German airforce)
particularly worried Britain. The Luftwaffe was developed by one of Hitler’s closest
supporters, Hermann Goering. He had been a fighter-pilot ace during the First World
War, but had since become very fat and pleasure-loving.
The French put their faith in a strategy of defence. A powerful defensive system called
the Maginot Line was built along the frontier with Germany. The British gradually built
up their squadrons of fighter aircraft and an early warning radar system. But many
people were terrified at the likely effects of air raids on cities and towns. As early as
1932, the British Prime Minister, Baldwin, had said, ‘The bomber will always get
through.’ The success of the Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War and especially the
destruction of Guernica seemed to confirm these fears.
In fact, estimates made at the time exaggerated the strength of the German forces, even as
late as 1938. Even so, people were right to be afraid of German power, especially if
Russia was not to be an ally of Britain and France.
What Were Hitler’s Aims?
Hitler ignored protests from other countries. He built up strong armed forces. Does this
mean that he deliberately planned the Second World War? This has been a matter of
sharp disagreement among historians. The problem is, how can we know what really
went on in Hitler’s mind?
The argument can be clearly illustrated by quotations by two British historians, Mr.
A.J.P. Taylor and Professor Hugh Trevor-Roper. Who do you think is nearer the truth?
In principle and doctrine, Hitler was no more wicked and unscrupulous than many other
contemporary statesmen. The state of German rearmament in 1939 gives the decisive
proof that Hitler was not contemplating general war, and probably not contemplating
war at all. The war of 1939, far from being premeditated, was a mistake, the result on
both sides of diplomatic blunders.
Let us consider briefly the programme which Hitler laid down for himself. It was a
programme of Eastern colonisation, entailing a war of conquest against Russia…..In
order to carry it out, Hitler needed a restored German army which, since it must be
powerful enough to conquer Russia, must also be powerful enough to conquer the West if
that should be necessary. And that might be necessary even before the attack on
Russia….it was always possible that a war with the West would be necessary before he
could march against Russia. And in fact that is what happened.