Source: President Woodrow Wilson portrait December 2 1912,  Pach Bros. NY, NY, Library of Congress

You and your friends have been in an argument for the past two weeks.  You have decided that you want to come up with a compromise and a peaceful end to the argument.  Do you try to make the compromise "fair" or do you make one of your friends "the winner"? 

In 1918, the United States, England, France and Russia had been at war with an alliance among Germany, Austria and Hungary.  The U.S. President at the time was Woodrow Wilson.  Wilson, who wanted to keep the U.S. out of war, tried to come up with a plan for “lasting peace” to end the war.  He believed that punishing Germany (as well as its allies) would cause future wars.  He wrote down his 14 ideas for peace, which became known as Wilson’s Fourteen Points.  

Visit this page to read the Wilson's Fourteen Points as they were delivered in joint session, January 8, 1918.