„To end all wars” – czy o to walczyli Amerykanie w Great War i co z tego wynikło?

Halina Parafianowicz

doi:10.18778/0208-6050.117.05

Authors

Halina Parafianowicz University of Bialystok https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5642-7607

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6050.117.05

Keywords:

Woodrow Wilson, Great War, United States, pacifism, League of Nations, soldiers, Afro-Americans, ethnic groups, Americanization

Abstract

President Woodrow Wilson, in his message to the Congress on April 2, 1917, presented a declaration of war on Germany. He responded to the ideals on which the American republic was based, namely democracy, freedom and every person’s right to happiness. He emphasized sublime and noble (not egoistic) motives of the decision to defend the civilized world against militarism, autocracy, injustice, etc. The participation of Americans in the war in Europe became a sort of crusade in defense of freedom and rights of small nations for self-determination, as well as – the building of a just and peaceful world.

The president’s moralistic phrases (e.g. “the world must be made safe for democracy”, “the war to end all wars”) turned out to be a useful and effective way to gain mass support for war efforts by Americans. Unprecedented government activities related to waging the war was accompanied by accelerated Americanization of the multi-ethnic society. All national and ethnic groups, Afro-Americans, Indians and women (for the first time on such a scale) – on a wave of a patriotic fever – gave their support to the administration’s war actions. As part of a broad information and propaganda campaign more than 4 million soldiers were recruited to the army, of which over 2 million were shipped to Europe. Their involvement, especially in the fall of 1918 helped end the hostilities and to conclude the armistice on 11 November 1918.

President Wilson, convinced of his special mission and role in building post-war order, came to Europe to participate in the Paris conference in person. He was at the peak of his popularity and fame and had been welcomed there enthusiastically as a visionary, apostle of peace and missionary of just solutions. But decisions made with his participation at the Peace conference and the idea of the League of Nations did not find approval of Americans and eventually the Senate did not ratify the Versailles treaty.

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Author Biography

Halina Parafianowicz, University of Bialystok

Prof. dr hab. Halina Parafianowicz – kierownik Katedry Amerykanistyki i Dyplomacji na Wydziale Stosunków Międzynarodowych Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku.

Zainteresowania naukowe: dzieje powszechne, zwłaszcza społeczna i polityczna historia Stanów Zjednoczonych i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej w XIX–XX w., historia stosunków międzynarodowych, biografistyka (głównie amerykańscy prezydenci i first ladies) oraz szeroko rozumiana problematyka kobieca, w szczególności aktywność publiczna i polityczna kobiet.

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