As the United States, your neutrality of the tasks was decided in the First world war. President Wilson laid before a hundred years, the cornerstone of the liberal world order under US leadership. Trump is now going to destroy you.
The reorganization of the world after the First world war: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (R) met in 1919 with the other heads of state and government of the victorious powers in Paris
At the beginning of January 1918, US President Woodrow Wilson appeared before both chambers of the U.S. Congress and presented his 14-point Plan. The famous theses named the war aims of the USA in Europe and the Middle East. Especially the reorganization of the States of the world was outlined. In this case, the right to self-determination of peoples should form the guideline. But Wilson’s 14 points continued: The U.S. President called for free trade, the end of secret diplomacy and the creation of a League of Nations.
Already in 1918, was Outlined to recognize those liberal world order, which was rebuilt after the Second world war under US leadership. A world order that prevailed, as more and more countries joined. And the only appears threatened now and again by a US President.
“America first”: U.S. President Donald Trump-liberal world order in question
Turning away from the pillars of the US foreign policy?
Donald Trump is a solitaire. In the past one hundred years there was no American head of state would undermine the cornerstone of American foreign policy in such a fundamental question as the 45. The President of the United States.
Of course, the United States had always been isolationist embossed forces. Also Wilson failed domestically, with his concept of an international order of peace. But the rejection of his 14-points-program went from an isolationist-dominated Congress – and not just from the White house. Therefore, Wilson is still considered as the pioneer of American internationalism. Up to the controversial entry into the First world war, the United States had tried to traditional, from international conflicts, especially in Europe, to stay out of this.
Wilson: co-operative foreign policy
Wilson pulled out of the horrors of war, the conclusion that the US should seek a multilateral and cooperative foreign policy. This is also evident in his much-cited war speech from 1917. There, Wilson stressed that the world was safe for democracy.
US President Wilson presented his 14-point Plan, the outlines of a new world order
Often Wilson is quoted incorrectly, namely with the dictum that the US should make the world safe for democracy. A small but significant difference. Because Wilson did not believe that the US will make alone in the situation, this would be, but that this could only be achieved together, under American leadership,. A “League of Nations” should provide the framework for this cooperative international policy. Wilson wanted to create an organization in which only with the consent of all the action could be taken, in the so practically every Nation had a veto. How controversial Wilson’s idea was already shown by the fact that the “League of Nations” had only less than three decades of stock and that the United States itself, you joined never.
Trump: unilateral decisions
In trump’s presidency, the United States are withdrawn out from many of the United Nations sanctioned treaties and several UN-organisations. It can be understood, therefore, due to its nationalist attitude to law as an Antipode to Wilson, says John Cooper, Emeritus Professor at the University of Wisconsin. He has written several books on Wilson. “He wants to act entirely alone in the world, the strong man, mark, and unilateral decisions on a whim,” says Cooper about Trump.
Not only in their attitude to the international role of the United States of Trump, and Wilson are opposites. Also their attitudes to immigration – a then, as now, highly controversial topic could not be more different. Wilson had a clear Position against xenophobia, which in the United States during the First world war against immigrants arose, especially in the face of possible war refugees from Europe. As the US Congress 1917 passed a law to limit immigration, put Wilson’s Veto. The Congress overruled the Veto with a Two-thirds majority – a sign of the extent of the resentment against immigrants.
The United Nations is the successor of the League of Nations, for the Foundation, Wilson began
“Wilson hated demagogues”
The Parallels to the present are also evident. The difference is that with Trump today, a U.S. President is in office, of a rampant, not xenophobia, but since the first day of his presidential candidacy fired. More: Trump not only verbally, but also with the Power of his office hard against immigrants without passports, by separate families, and deport. He also wants to limit legal immigration in the United States and the number of refugees at historically low levels reduce.
Still, it is too early to judge how Trumps confrontation to the politics of internationalism. Two years of his presidency are, for Cooper, however, sufficient to be able to assess what would Woodrow Wilson, his successor in office: “He would look at Trump with dread and Horror.” Because, the Wilson-expert: “Trump always wants to rouse and Wilson hated demagogues.” This is also a significant difference between the two presidents, the highlight of the American century, between 1918 and 2018.