To End All Wars: Woodrow Wilson and the Quest for a New World Order

Knock, an associate professor of history at Southern Methodist University, traces Woodrow Wilson's conception of the League of Nations as it evolved within the context of U.S. neutrality during the first two years of the Great War. Against this background he defines the conservative and progressive views of internationalism, and shows how Wilson won support from a large bloc of socialists by pushing through Congress an impressive list of reforms on the eve of his 1916 reelection. Knock then reveals how Wilson, during the Paris Peace Conference and the battle for ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, lost domestic support because of his apparent acquiescence to the suppression of civil liberties during the so-called Red Scare. Despite the glorification of ``Saint Woodrow'' by the common people of Europe, Wilson foresaw what he called a ``tragedy of disappointment'' even as he called for a new world order based on the arbitration of disputes among nations, general disarmament, self-determination and collective security. Not for the casual reader, Knock's analysis of the rise and fall of ``progressive internationalism'' will be of interest mainly to specialists. Photos. (Oct.)