Woodrow Wilson: Self-Determination and the Dissolution of Empire
Abstract
No single person is more associated with the concept of self-determination than Woodrow Wilson. Though the political and philosophical discussions of self-determination began centuries earlier, they never truly gained prominence until the early 20th century with the onset of the First World War. At the same time, the Wilson Administration oversaw an unprecedented change in the boundaries and even the existence of states throughout the world, as many of the various national minorities within the warring states began to demand independence. Yet the general unanimity of scholars who recognize Wilson as one of the foremost proponents of self-determination can be deceiving. There is very little consensus on Wilson's actual concept of self-determination nor its impact in changing the political face of the world. In particular, there is great disagreement regarding how, and if, Wilson was able to reconcile his support of self-determination with its impending result: the dissolution of empire. As a career academician in the field of political science, Wilson provides a unique opportunity to examine not only the actuality of his policies, but the intellectual development that brought them about. Accordingly, this thesis will examine the relevant intellectual background of Wilson, it will comparatively view his policies affecting self-determination and the dissolution of empire in Europe and China, it will review occasions during which Wilson sought to implement these policies (particularly at the Paris Peace Conference), and it will examine lesser factors that may have influenced Wilson's policies, all with the express intent of defining Woodrow Wilson's views on self-determination and the dissolution of empire.
Description
Program year: 1990/1991Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Subject
Woodrow Wilsonpolitical self-determination
independence
dissolution of empire
Europe
China
Paris Peace Conference
Citation
Clevenger, Ty (1991). Woodrow Wilson: Self-Determination and the Dissolution of Empire. University Undergraduate Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -BallS _1977.