Omar Bennett
Woodrow Wilson's moral diplomacy was a significant shift in American foreign policy, promoting world peace, democracy, and self-determination of nations. Wilson's approach, outlined in his `Fourteen Points` speech, emphasized morality and ethical considerations rather than American self-interest. This was evident in his response to the Mexican Revolution, where he refused to recognize the undemocratic government of General Victoriano Huerta, and his interventions in Latin America, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Panama. Wilson's moral diplomacy aimed to curb the growth of imperialism and spread democracy, using America's economic power to influence other nations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Based on morality and ethical considerations | World peace |
| To promote democracy | Democracy |
| To support self-determination of nations | Self-determination of nations |
| To curb the growth of imperialism | Collective security |
| To spread freedom | Freedom |
| To encourage free trade | Free trade |
| To end secret treaties | Openness in diplomacy |
| To promote moral responsibility in international affairs | Moral responsibility |
| To economically injure non-democratic countries | Economic power |
| To use military power to force decisions | Military power |
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What You'll Learn
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy from 1913-1921
Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, served in office from 1913 to 1921. During this period, Wilson's foreign policy was largely driven by his belief in moral diplomacy, which prioritised democratic values and self-determination over the imperialist policies of his predecessors.
In his 1914 address on "The Meaning of Liberty", Wilson alluded to America's potential to be a guiding force for "justice, liberty, and peace" in the world. This belief in American exceptionalism formed the basis of his foreign policy approach, which sought to spread democracy and liberty through moral diplomacy.
One of the key aspects of Wilson's foreign policy was his intervention in Latin America, particularly in Mexico. In 1913, Mexico underwent a revolution, with General Victoriano Huerta seizing power through a coup. Wilson refused to recognise Huerta's legitimacy due to his undemocratic rise to power and his authoritarian rule, which contradicted Wilson's notion of freedom and self-determination. Wilson's actions towards Mexico included the use of American military power, which ultimately damaged long-term relations between the two countries.
Wilson also faced challenges in the Caribbean, including in Haiti, where American troops forced the Haitian legislature to choose the candidate he selected as Haitian President. Additionally, he dealt with issues in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Panama, where the US maintained troops throughout his administration.
On a global scale, Wilson's foreign policy was marked by his response to World War I. Initially, he tried to maintain American neutrality, but eventually called on Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917. After the war, he played a pivotal role in negotiating a peace treaty, which included his proposal for a League of Nations. Despite his efforts, the Senate rejected US membership in the League, and Wilson's health declined, impacting his ability to govern.
Overall, Wilson's foreign policy from 1913 to 1921 was characterised by his commitment to moral diplomacy, a departure from isolationism, and a belief in spreading democracy and liberty worldwide. While he faced challenges and complexities, his efforts towards internationalism and peace earned him the Nobel Prize.
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Mexico's government under General Victoriano Huerta
Huerta's government was authoritarian and repressive, and he faced almost immediate opposition from constitutionalist forces, including Venustiano Carranza, Alvaro Obregon, Pancho Villa, and Emiliano Zapata. These forces received the support of the newly elected US President, Woodrow Wilson, who refused to recognize the legitimacy of Huerta's government due to its undemocratic nature. Wilson's stance towards Mexico was informed by his belief in moral diplomacy, which sought to spread democracy and freedom internationally.
Wilson's moral diplomacy was used to justify the use of American military power to force decisions in Mexico. In April 1914, for example, Wilson ordered the US Navy to occupy the port city of Veracruz after a diplomatic incident involving the arrest of American sailors in Tampico. This intervention weakened Huerta's control and he was eventually forced to resign and flee to Spain.
The use of moral diplomacy by Wilson had long-term consequences for US-Mexico relations. It also impacted American businesses operating in countries that did not meet Wilson's "moral" standards. Wilson's actions in Mexico, therefore, serve as a key example of the use of moral diplomacy and its effects.
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American exceptionalism
Wilson's foreign policy from 1913 to 1921 was driven by the notion of freedom for citizens and in economic trade. He believed that the US had a duty to spread democracy and ensure self-determination for nations, marking a shift from the isolationist policies of his predecessors to a more internationalist stance. This approach, known as "Wilsonian diplomacy", aimed to establish the US as a moral leader in international affairs, emphasising ethical considerations over American self-interest.
A key example of Wilson's moral diplomacy was his intervention in Mexico in 1913-1914. When General Victoriano Huerta rose to power through a coup, Wilson refused to recognise his legitimacy due to his undemocratic means of gaining power. Wilson's stance towards Huerta, whom he described as leading a "government of butchers", contrasted with the position of most European nations, which supported Huerta due to his openness to foreign investment. Wilson's actions against the Huerta regime included the use of American military force, which ultimately damaged the long-term US-Mexico relationship.
Wilson also applied moral diplomacy to other Latin American countries, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Panama. In Haiti, for instance, US troops forced the Haitian legislature to choose the candidate Wilson selected as Haitian president. Additionally, the US maintained troops in Nicaragua throughout the Wilson administration and used them to select the country's president.
Wilson's "Fourteen Points" speech, delivered to Congress in 1918, outlined his vision for a new diplomacy based on morality and ethical principles. It called for open covenants, free trade, an end to secret treaties, and the creation of the League of Nations to ensure collective security and lasting peace. While Wilson's idealistic approach to foreign policy was not immediately adopted, it laid the groundwork for the US to become an active player on the international stage, eventually joining the United Nations following World War II.
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The Fourteen Points speech
Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points speech, delivered to Congress on January 8, 1918, outlined his moral beliefs regarding international engagement and his vision for a new world order. The speech was a statement of principles for peace to be used in negotiations to end World War I. It was also a response to Vladimir Lenin's Decree on Peace of November 1917, which called for an immediate end to the war.
The Fourteen Points were:
- Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, with no private international understandings of any kind, and diplomacy proceeding in the public view.
- Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, outside territorial waters, in peace and war, except as closed by international action for the enforcement of international covenants.
- Removal of economic barriers and the establishment of equal trade conditions among consenting nations.
- Reduction of armaments.
- Adjustment of colonial claims based on the principles of self-determination.
- Specific territorial issues between combatant countries, including the return and adjustment of borders and providing for eventual self-rule for peoples in the Balkans, Poland, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
7-13. Not explicitly stated in sources.
A general association of nations must be formed to offer mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to all nations, great and small.
Wilson's Fourteen Points were an example of his "moral diplomacy", which he had previously used in response to the Mexican Revolution, where he refused to recognize the government of General Victoriano Huerta due to its undemocratic nature, instead advocating for democratic governments. Wilson's moral diplomacy aimed to promote world peace, democracy, self-determination of nations, and moral responsibility in international affairs.
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The spread of democracy
Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy from 1913 to 1921 was based on the principles of moral diplomacy, which included the spread of democracy. Wilson believed that the United States had a duty to spread democracy and used aggressive moral diplomacy to ensure this objective. This was a departure from the aggressive foreign policies of his predecessors, focusing on the moral implications of foreign relations rather than on direct American self-interests.
Wilson's moral diplomacy was based on economic power and was used to advocate for world peace, democracy, self-determination of nations, and moral responsibility in international affairs. He believed that by advocating for democratic principles and moral responsibility, the United States could serve as a model for other nations, leading to a more peaceful and just world order. Wilson's vision included the establishment of the League of Nations to ensure lasting peace and prevent future conflicts.
To spread democracy, Wilson frequently intervened in the affairs of other countries, particularly in Latin America. He stated in 1913, "I am going to teach the South American republics to elect good men". These interventions included Mexico in 1914, Haiti from 1915 to 1934, the Dominican Republic in 1916, Cuba in 1917, and Panama in 1918. Wilson's actions in these countries were often controversial and included the use of American military power to force decisions. For example, in Haiti, American troops forced the Haitian legislature to choose the candidate Wilson selected as Haitian President.
Wilson's promotion of democracy also extended to the Philippines and Puerto Rico. In 1916, the Democratic-controlled Congress promised the residents of the Philippine Islands independence, and the following year, Puerto Rico achieved territorial status, and its residents became U.S. citizens. Wilson also signed twenty-two bilateral treaties that agreed to cooling-off periods and outside fact-finding commissions as alternatives to war.
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Frequently asked questions
Moral diplomacy was used in several countries, especially in Latin America, including Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Panama.
In 1913, when General Victoriano Huerta rose to power in Mexico, President Wilson refused to recognize his legitimacy because he had seized power through a coup and imposed a bloody authoritarian rule on the country. Wilson's actions against the Huerta regime included the use of force and American military power to force decisions, which ultimately damaged the U.S.'s long-term relationship with Mexico.
Moral diplomacy was used by President Wilson to promote world peace, democracy, self-determination of nations, and moral responsibility in international affairs. He believed that by advocating for democratic principles and moral responsibility, the United States could serve as a moral leader and model for other nations, leading to a more peaceful and just world order.
