The fourteen points of Wilson are the name given to the program of the US president Thomas Woodrow Wilson to put an end to the First World War and to rebuild the Europe in a speech resounding of the January 8th 1918.

Although many points are specific, the five first were more generals, including the free-access to the sea, the abolition of the secret diplomacy, disarmament, the restitution of the Souveraineté S on the occupied grounds, like the Alsace-Lorraine for the France, the right to the national Auto-détermination, etc
Le speech, which had been written without coordination or preliminary consultation of the European counterparts, was impress high ideals and announced the Société of the Nations.
Wilson will succeed in making pass part of its program in the Traité of Versailles. However, in spite of this idealism, Europe of post-war period will adopt only four points of them. The Senate américian refuses to ratify the Traité of Versailles, like entering the Company of the Nations. Lastly, the Corridor of Dantzig, which made it possible Poland to freely reach the sea will be the pretext of Hitler to start the Second world war!

However, the Fourteen Points preserve the memory of a beautiful ideal.

Extract of the speech taking again the fourteen points

1. Of the peace treaties opened, to which one freely led, after which it will have there no more no species of private alliances international, but a frank and transparent diplomacy

2. an absolute freedom of navigation on the seas, apart from territorial water, in times of peace, as well as in time of war, except if the seas must be partly or completely closed in order to allow the application of international alliances.
3. withdrawal, as much as possible, of all the economic barriers, and the establishment of an equality of the conditions of trade among all the nations wishing peace and joining to maintain it.
4. Of the adequate guarantees to give and take so that the national armaments are reduced to the smallest possible point compatible with the internal security.
5. a free adjustment, open, absolutely impartial of all the colonial territories, basing itself on the principle that by determining all the questions about sovereignty, the interests of the populations concerned are taken as much into account than the equitable claims of gouvernenment whose title is to be determined.
6. evacuation of all the Russian territory and payment of all questions concerning Russia of kind to ensure the best and freer co-operation of the other nations of the world in order to give to Russia any latitude without obstacle nor obstacle, to decide, in full independence, of its own political development and its national organization.
7. the Belgium, and the whole world will approve, must be evacuated and restored, without any attempt to limit its sovereignty which she enjoys commonly with the other free nations. No one another act will not be useful as this one to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they established and determined themselves for the government of their relations with the others. Without this act curator, the whole structure and the validity of the international law are cut down forever.
8. All the territories French should be released, the returned invaded portions, and the wrongs caused to France by the Prussia in 1871, concerning the Alsace-Lorraine, which disturbed world peace during nearly 50 years, should be corrected, so that peace is again established in the interest of all.
9. a readjustment of the borders of Italy should be carried out along clearly recognizable national lines.
10. With the people of Austria-Hungary, of which we wish to see safeguarding and ensuring the place among the nations, will have to be granted as soon as possible the possibility of an autonomous development.
11. the Romania, the Serbia and the Montenegro should be evacuated; the occupied territories should be restored; in Serbia an access to the free and sure sea should be assured; the relations of the states balkans between them should be given by a friendly agreement along historically established lines of allegiance and nationality; international guarantees as for political and economic independence, and the territorial integrity of the states of the Balkans should also be introduced.
12. With the Turkish areas of the current Ottoman Empire should be assured sovereignty and safety; but to the other nations which are now under the Turkish domination one should guarantee an absolute safety of life and the full possibility of developing in an autonomous way; as for the Dardanelles, they should remain permanently open, in order to allow the unrestricted passage the vessels and the trade of all the nations, under international guarantee.
13. a State Polish independent should be created, which would include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, to which one should ensure a free access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence as well as the territorial integrity should be guaranteed by an international agreement.
14. a general association of the nations must be made up under alliances specific having the aim of offering mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrality to small as to the great States.

In short

• 1. Public peace negotiations.

• 2. Sea freedom of transport.
• 3. Freedom of international business.
• 4. Concerted limitation of the armaments.
• 5. Impartial payment of the colonial questions.
• 6. Evacuation of Russia.
• 7. Evacuation and restoration of Belgium.
• 8. Return of Alsace-Lorraine to France.
• 9. Corrections of the Italian borders according to the limits of nationalities.
• 10. Independence of the people of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• 11. Evacuation of Romania, Serbia and Montenegro.
• 12. Limitation of Othoman sovereignty to the only Turkish areas.
• 13. Creation of a Polish State with free access to the sea.
• 14. Creation of the Company of the nations.

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