Woodrow Wilson

From Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism by Sun Yat-sen
( lecture delivered on 17 February 1924 )

SELF-DETERMINATION OF NATIONALISM

During the war [1914-18] a great doctrine was formulated which almost everybody approved—the Wilsonian doctrine of the self-determination of nationalities. Since Germany was using force in the attempt to suppress the allied nations of Europe, President Wilson declared that all the oppressed peoples in the world should unite with the Allies to defeat German militarism, and that if the war was won, the smaller nations would have an opportunity to determine their own destiny. The smaller nations believed in Wilson, and hoped fervently that they would be liberated from oppression at the end of the war. The Hindus and Annammites enthusiastically helped even their own enemies, Britain and France respectively, �to win the war� and �to make the world safe for democracy�. Other oppressed states in Europe, such as Poland Czechoslovakia, and Rumania also entered the war because of Woodrow Wilson�s promise. China joined in the war for the same reason. Although we did not send troops to Europe, we sent several hundred thousands of labor battalions to the front. Because of this one good principle ; namely, self-determination of nationalities, the Powers persuaded practically all the oppressed nations in Europe and Asia to assist them in fighting against the Central Powers.

In order to preserve peace and good will among the nations after the great disaster, Wilson put forth the �Fourteen Points� which included the principle of self-determination of nationalities. When the war was in progress, England and France agreed wholeheartedly with the Fourteen Points. As soon as the war was won, England, France, and Italy tried to frustrate Wilson�s program because it was in conflict with their imperialist policies. As a consequence, the Peace Treaty was one of the most unequal treaties ever negotiated in history. The smaller nationalities were not only refused self-determination, but were brought under worse oppression.

Comment The mains source of Wilson�s frustration may have been the U.S. Congress, and there was a dose of political intrigue at play. There may have been a mistake by Mr. Bullitt (who was dissed in some way at the Peace Conference) — which lead to the estrangement of Mr. Lansing. The politics of Mr. Lloyd George I (for one) am still trying to understand but I cannot. The treaty may have been exceedingly harsh (�unequal�), hence impractical —: the emotions did apparently take over the reason in some instances — but those emotions were not occasioned by some minor skirmish somewhere. The geneses of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia were not exactly known to Dr. Sun, and that issue was already a major counterproductive factor. — (WPT).

The mighty Powers held the supremacy and had control over the resources of all the smaller nations. In order to maintain their monopolistic positions forever, the Powers have prevented the rise of the small states by teaching them the doctrine of cosmopolitanism. They have criticized the doctrine of nationalism as being too narrow and detrimental to humanity. Their doctrine of cosmopolitanism is in fact the doctrine of imperialism in disguise.

Comment not so much �the Powers� as the Bolshevik and other �socialist� parties were anti-nationalistic. The deliberately spawned confusion can be seen till this very day 2005. (WPT)

In spite of the difficulties and disappointment at the Peace Conference and in the years following, Wilson�s doctrine of self-determination has borne fruit. Annam, Burma, java, India, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and many other small nations in Europe are finding that they have been deceived by the imperialist Powers, and they are trying to liberate themselves.

SUN YAT-SEN His Political and Social Ideals
Compiled, Translated and Annotated by Leonard Shihlien Hsü.
University Park, Los Angeles :
University of Southern California Press, 1933, pages 220-1.

From Poland : Key to Europe, 1938 by Raymond Leslie Buell

...      Dmowski in Europe and Paderewski in America carried on effective propaganda in favour of the Polish cause.

With the elimination of Russia, the Allies could now proceed to endorse the goal of Polish independence. President Wilson made Poland the subject of the next to the last of his Fourteen Points;¹⁹ and in a declaration of June 3, 1918 Britain, France, and Italy stated that the creation of a united Poland with free access to the sea constituted a condition of a just peace. Subsequently they authorized the formation in France of an autonomous Polish army, under the control of the Polish national Committee headed by Dmowski. This Allied recognition of the National Committee made possible the participation of Poland in the Paris Peace Conference — a right not granted to any Baltic country.

    ¹⁹   "An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant."

New York * London : A. Knopf 1939, p. 68.

Selected bibliographic, http://melvyl.cdlib.org