Isabella Carter
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his philosophical belief that America had the obligation to spread its principles while reflecting the 'truisms' of American thought. Wilson's policy, known as moral diplomacy, was a departure from his predecessors' imperialist policies. He believed that the US should intervene in international affairs only when there was a moral imperative to do so. This was based on the notion of freedom applied to citizens and economic trade, with the core principle of self-determination, or the moral right of people to choose their form of government and leaders through democratic elections. Wilson's vision for a “new diplomacy” was outlined in his Fourteen Points speech delivered to Congress in 1918, which called for open covenants, general disarmament, and the dismantling of the imperial order.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| World diplomacy approach | Moral diplomacy |
| Foreign policy | Support smaller nations that agreed to abide by 'American' values of political democracy and self-determination |
| Economic and military pressure towards nations that rejected American values | |
| Opposition to imperialism | |
| Support for self-determination | |
| Opposition to secret treaties | |
| Support for open, free markets | |
| Support for disarmament | |
| Opposition to militant nationalism | |
| Opposition to ethnic hatred |
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What You'll Learn
- Wilson believed in a new diplomacy, hinging on moral values, not imperialism
- He advocated for self-determination and democratic elections
- Wilson wanted to dismantle imperialism and promote self-rule
- He believed in a world with no secret treaties, with open diplomacy
- Wilson's idealism extended to the US monopolization of world markets
Wilson believed in a new diplomacy, hinging on moral values, not imperialism
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his philosophical belief that America had the obligation to spread its principles while reflecting the 'truisms' of American thought. Wilson's policy, known as "moral diplomacy", was a departure from the imperialist policies of his predecessors. He believed that the US should intervene in international affairs only when there was a moral imperative to do so.
Wilson's moral diplomacy hinged on the principle of self-determination, which he defined as the moral right of people to choose their form of government and leaders through democratic elections. He supported smaller nations that agreed to uphold democratic values and worked to establish self-government in territories like the Philippines, preparing them for American withdrawal. Wilson's vision for a new diplomacy was outlined in his "Fourteen Points" speech to Congress in 1918, which called for open covenants, general disarmament, and the dismantling of imperial holdings to allow for self-rule.
Wilson's approach to diplomacy was influenced by his conviction that democracy was gaining strength worldwide, and he actively encouraged this process. He believed that the underlying cause of World War I was militant nationalism and ethnic hatred in Europe, and that the solution was to spread democracy through international organizations. Wilson's idealistic approach, now referred to as "Wilsonianism", has been both emulated and rejected in subsequent American foreign policy.
While Wilson sought to reduce American interventionism, he found it challenging in practice. He believed in the superiority of American values and actively worked to influence the internal politics of Latin American nations, promoting democracy and withholding recognition from non-democratic governments. Wilson's actions in Latin America, such as his interventions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, undermined the promise of self-determination and demonstrated the complexities of implementing his moral diplomacy.
Wilson's legacy in world diplomacy is multifaceted. While he advocated for democratic ideals and self-determination, critics argue that his policies ultimately served American economic interests and the fight against communism. His idealism in reshaping the international system after World War I has been criticized as irrational, and his vision for a new diplomacy faced challenges in the postwar world.
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He advocated for self-determination and democratic elections
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his messianic philosophical belief that America had the obligation to spread its principles while reflecting the 'truisms' of American thought. His idealistic internationalism, now referred to as "Wilsonianism", called for the United States to enter the world arena to fight for democracy.
Wilson's policy was a departure from his predecessors, who pursued an expansionist approach to American foreign policy. He proposed an idealistic foreign policy based on morality, rather than American self-interest, and felt that American interference in another nation’s affairs should occur only when the circumstances rose to the level of a moral imperative. This new type of statesmanship was called
Wilson's moral diplomacy was a shift in foreign policy to be hinged upon moral values rather than purely imperialist interests. Under this diplomacy, the U.S. sought to offer support to nations that agreed to uphold democratic values. Wilson considered moral diplomacy an alternative to his predecessors' imperialist policies. In his view, moral diplomacy did not necessarily extend American power but rather empowered developing nations to become self-sustaining and democratic.
Wilson's vision for a new diplomacy was outlined in his Fourteen Points speech delivered to Congress on January 8, 1918. It called for open covenants openly arrived at, and the dismantling of the imperial order by opening up colonial holdings to eventual self-rule and all European sections of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires to immediate independence. He also proposed a general disarmament after the war, with the Germans and Austrians giving up their armed forces first.
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Wilson wanted to dismantle imperialism and promote self-rule
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his messianic philosophical belief that America had the obligation to spread its principles while reflecting the 'truisms' of American thought. Wilson's policy was a departure from his predecessors, who pursued an expansionist approach to American foreign policy. Wilson's policy was based on moral principles and idealism, which he believed was necessary for world peace.
Wilson's policy, referred to as "moral diplomacy", was centred on the principle of "self-determination", which he defined as the moral right of people to choose their form of government and leaders through democratic elections. He believed that governments must exist by the "consent of the governed" and that nations must unite in a "concert of power", an international organization. Wilson's policy was a direct contrast to the imperialist policies of his predecessors, which he believed were based on selfish materialism. Instead, Wilson's policy sought to support smaller nations that agreed to uphold democratic values and pressure those that did not.
In practice, Wilson found it difficult to keep the United States out of world affairs. For example, in 1915, Wilson responded to chronic revolution in Haiti by sending in American marines to restore order, and he did the same in the Dominican Republic in 1916. Wilson also practiced old-fashioned imperialism by buying the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million. Despite these interventions, Wilson's policy was a significant shift from his predecessors, and his idealism continues to influence American foreign policy in the twenty-first century.
Wilson's vision for a new diplomacy was outlined in his "Fourteen Points" speech delivered to Congress on January 8, 1918. He called for open covenants, general disarmament, and the evacuation of all territories occupied during the war. Wilson wanted to dismantle the imperial order by opening up colonial holdings to eventual self-rule and all European sections of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires to immediate independence.
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He believed in a world with no secret treaties, with open diplomacy
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his philosophical belief that America had a responsibility to spread its principles while reflecting the 'truisms' of American thought. He believed that the nation needed to intervene in international affairs only when there was a moral imperative to do so. This approach was called "moral diplomacy", and it was a significant break from the policies of his predecessors, which were largely driven by selfish materialism and imperialist interests.
Wilson's moral diplomacy was predicated on the idea that the United States should support nations that agreed to uphold democratic values and principles. He believed that governments must exist by the "consent of the governed" and enjoy the right to self-determination. In his view, this was the best system to promote peace and stability, and he was convinced that democracy was gaining strength throughout the world. He also proposed a general disarmament after World War I, with the Germans and Austrians giving up their armed forces first.
Wilson's Fourteen Points speech, delivered to Congress on January 8, 1918, outlined his vision for a "new diplomacy" consisting of "open covenants openly arrived at". He believed that secret treaties, like those that had pulled the world into war in 1914, would no longer be tolerated. All territories occupied during the war were to be evacuated, and imperial holdings were to be opened up to eventual self-rule. He also proposed freedom of navigation upon the seas, the removal of economic barriers, and the establishment of equality of trade conditions among consenting nations.
Wilson's approach to diplomacy was not without its challenges. Despite his efforts to mediate peace, the war continued, and his attempts to keep the United States out of world affairs proved difficult. Additionally, his vision for world affairs in the postwar world was seen as idealistic and faulty by critics.
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Wilson's idealism extended to the US monopolization of world markets
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy was based on his idealistic belief in moral diplomacy, which prioritised moral values over imperialist interests. Wilson's vision for world diplomacy was outlined in his Fourteen Points speech delivered to Congress in 1918, which called for a "new diplomacy" of "open covenants openly arrived at". This marked a departure from the secret treaties that had characterised pre-war diplomacy and led to the outbreak of World War I. Wilson sought to dismantle imperial powers by advocating for the self-rule of colonial holdings and the independence of European sections of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires.
Wilson's idealism extended to his economic policies as well. He implemented tariff reform to promote open, free markets and created programs for federal oversight of the domestic economy. While Wilson intended for his moral diplomacy to empower developing nations to become self-sustaining and democratic, critics argue that it ultimately served to accelerate the US monopolization of world markets. This is particularly evident in Latin America, where Wilson's insistence on democratic governments undermined the promise of self-determination for Latin American states. In 1915, Wilson sent US marines to Haiti and the Dominican Republic to restore order, resulting in military occupations that failed to establish democratic states.
Wilson's approach to Asia provides further evidence of US economic monopolization intentions. He abandoned his predecessor's "dollar diplomacy" and worked to minimise Japanese interference in the Pacific. However, the Lansing-Ishii Agreement of 1917 recognised Japanese control over the Manchurian region of China, reflecting a compromise between US economic interests and the expansion of Japanese influence in the region. Additionally, Wilson's purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million in 1916 represents a traditional form of imperialism that contradicts his idealistic foreign policy claims.
Furthermore, Wilson's actions in the Philippines demonstrate the complex interplay between his idealism and economic interests. While he set the Philippines on the path to independence, his administration also worked to establish effective self-government in preparation for an eventual American withdrawal. This suggests that Wilson's economic policies were influenced by a desire to secure US economic interests globally, even as he promoted democratic ideals and self-determination.
In conclusion, while Wilson's idealism and moral diplomacy aimed to empower developing nations and promote democracy, the extension of US economic influence and the contradiction between idealism and practical actions reveal a more nuanced reality. The US monopolization of world markets during Wilson's presidency was a consequence of his idealistic foreign policy, demonstrating the complex interplay between idealism and economic interests in shaping global diplomacy.
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Frequently asked questions
Wilson initially declared American neutrality in 1914, but as the war progressed, he found it increasingly difficult to maintain this stance. He believed that America had a moral responsibility to intervene in international affairs, which led to his eventual decision to ask Congress for a declaration of war in 1917.
Wilson believed in the idea of "moral diplomacy" with Latin America, which meant promoting democratic values and self-determination in the region. He was willing to exert American power to influence Latin American nations' internal politics and withheld recognition from non-democratic governments.
Wilson outlined his vision for world peace in his "Fourteen Points" speech in 1918. He called for a new diplomacy based on open covenants, the dismantling of imperial holdings, general disarmament, and fair treatment of nations. He also emphasized the importance of international organizations in maintaining peace.
Wilson had no prior experience in foreign policy when he became president. His beliefs about diplomacy were shaped by his messianic philosophical belief in the superiority of American values and the need to spread democracy and self-determination. He also wanted to break from his predecessors' imperialist policies.
Wilson's diplomacy had a lasting impact on American foreign policy, with his ideas continuing to influence US approaches to world affairs well into the 21st century. However, critics argue that his idealism led to faulty prescriptions for the postwar world, and his efforts to remake the international system were unsuccessful.
