In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924; served 1913–21)
developed a peace program called “Fourteen Points.” His vision imagined a world without secret alliances or imperialism (the dominance of
one country over many others). It was important to Wilson that even
weaker countries be heard alongside stronger ones.
The last of his Fourteen Points called for the formation of a League
of Nations, an international alliance to preserve peace. Representatives
from all countries would join and work to solve international disputes
without war. The League was established in 1920, and ironically, the
U.S. Senate voted against joining, because most Senate members agreed
that the United States was already involved in too many of Europe’s disputes and conflicts. The American public supported this stance. As a
result, the United States never joined the League of Nations, though
American diplomats did encourage the League’s activities and attend its
meetings unofficially.
It became clear that the League had failed in its mission to prevent
war when World War II (1939–45) began. The organization disbanded
in 1946 and was replaced by the United Nations. For his efforts toward
international peace, Wilson received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1920.