The
American involvement in
World War I was one of the greater U.S. foreign policy mistakes of the 20th century. Instead of recognizing it for what it was - a war between
imperialist European powers -
America in 1917 entered the war on the premise that it would end all wars.
Of course, things turned out otherwise. President
Woodrow Wilson's idealism, as exemplified in the 14 Points, proved to be devastating. Wilson and many
pragmatist American
intellectuals like
John Dewey believed they could bring
democracy to
Europe. But as should have been clear from the beginning,
European countries were not willing to follow the 14 Points and give up any advantages arising from their victory over
Germany and
Austria-Hungary. According to
Randolph Bourne, Americans were not even sure what they meant by "democracy" when they thought they were promoting it abroad.
In 1919,
Wilson's 14 Points, which had enticed
Germany and
Austria-Hungary to negotiate in 1918, were more or less sacrificed to the interests of
France and
Great Britain. The
Treaty of Versailles constituted a major setback for American foreign policy, which was outwitted by
European diplomats. In hindsight the treaty's material effects (substantial territorial losses and reparation payments) were hard-hitting, but bearable. However, the emotional effects on the
German people were traumatic and partially paved the way for the
Nazi movement. The
Versailles Treaty also inevitably associated the democracy of the ill-fated
Weimar Republic with the stain of defeat in the consciousness of millions of Germans.
In effect,
America in
World War I proved to be a pawn to
Great Britain and
France. Without American involvement, the war might have resulted in a more balanced outcome.
A domestic effect of U.S. involvement in
World War I was the effective destruction of the lively German-American culture by
censorship and government-sponsored
propaganda. Ironically,
Woodrow Wilson won the
presidential elections of 1916 on the premise that he would keep
America out of war. Only months after Wilson's being sworn into office,
America was entangled in the war.