The intervention of the USA in post-war Europe (1918-1920): a too ambitious plan ?

Résumé du document

On the 31st of May 2004, a survey was published by Newsweek. This survey was entitled ?60 years after D-Day, America and Europe are on different paths.' On reading this survey, I inferred and was soon aware of the fact that Europe/UK was recently added as an ally to the United States. Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of the United States was ambitious and intended to build up a new diplomacy which was based on universalistic values. These universalistic values included negotiation or transparency. The two Worlds (US and Europe/UK) were basically unstable and unwilling to accomplish their goals. Due to this reason, the American Senate didn't ratify the Versailles-treaty.

Extraits

[...] The intervention of the USA in post-war Europe (1918-1920): a too ambitious plan? A recent survey published by Newsweek (May 31st, 2004) entitled years after D-Day, America and Europe are on different paths” made me aware of the fact that Europe bar UK - is a quite recent ally of the United States. I. Wilson's unrealistic policy Wilson's ambition was to build up a new diplomacy, based on universalistic values, like negotiation or transparency. The two Worlds were basically not ready to accomplish their goals; that's why the American Senate didn't ratify the Versailles-treaty. [...]

[...] We have however to recognize that Wilson achieved to impose new forms in diplomacy by diminishing for instance the power of diplomats, in favour of the chiefs of governments. Negotiations had in that way more legitimacy. The struggles go on in Europe The war is finished, but now the struggle for the reparations begins. The peace is not an end in itself, insofar as peace negotiations are just another place, where nationalist rivalries come to the front. This is one of the sources of the European reconstruction setback. [...]

[...] The post-war period was a time of psychological agitation. The war had strengthened the patriotic feeling, by exploiting the “nationality principle” of the soldiers helping them to fight off in disastrous conditions, like it happened in Verdun for example. Conservatism is the word that defines best this time of the European history. In effect, we have to add the conservatism of the new countries that are looking for identity, to the old ultra-conservative great powers. Seven countries emerged at that time in Europe from 1914 to 1921. [...]

[...] They tried to make their way in Europe. They achieved in fact to impose themselves on the international stage, before the War was at its end. Czech, Slovaks and Yugoslavs emerged without calling for permission. These countries represented a factor of worry for the great powers, but also for the European stability. In the spring 1920 for example, the ambitious Poland attacked Russia and lost the war. If Poland would have been in a conflict with a communist country, it is not sure that it would have been supported by the Allies. [...]

[...] There was finally a willingness of the American people to stay out of the European quarrels. On March 19th 1920, the Senate refused to ratify the Versailles-treaty. One has to recall that in the United States of America, the public opinion has to be taken in account in the diplomacy, because the Senate has a real ability to intervene in that domain. Wilson was over- confident on that. In fact, the American Senate ratifies international treaties and nominates the diplomatic corps. [...]