The delegations of the victorious Allied nations gathered in Paris in January 1919 to conclude a final settlement for World War I. At this time, the reasons for fighting in World War I transformed from irrational ideas to idealistic principles. Secret wartime treaties were found in the archives of the Russian foreign ministry by Lenin and Bolsheviks as these documents showed how the war was for territorial gain. However, the discussion of the war’s aim was shifted from territorial gains to a higher ground. President Woodrow Wilson aimed his discussion on the self-determination of the people. Also, he categorized the war as a people’s war raged against “absolutism and militarism.” As President Wilson’s thoughts were toward self-determination, the other European states had more pragmatic moves. …show more content…
France wanted to attack any future German aggressions because Georges Clemenceau thought that the French people had enough of German aggressions and deserved security and revenge. As France’s approach was to promote national security, this was vindictive to the principle of self-determination from Wilson. Aside from the non-agreeable motives of the self-determination principle, there was another consideration that affected the peace negotiations, which was European states feared that the Bolshevik revolutions would spread into neighboring European states. On the other hand, there were important decisions made by Wilson, Clemenceau, and Lloyd George at the Paris Peace Conference. One of the benefits that were created from the 27 nations that attended the Conference was that a League of Nations was created on January 25, 1919. As the details of the League were to be discussed at future conferences, Wilson’s plan of wanting the “league of nations,” was to prevent future