Versailles #52: OTD 5th April 1919 - Wilson Has Had Enough!
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast
Zack Twamley
4.8 • 773 Ratings
🗓️ 5 April 2019
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the first week of April, 1919, American President Woodrow Wilson had reached the end of his tether. He was eternally sick of Georges Clemenceau lording the agonies of France over his head - what he needed was compromise, not to be accused of being pro-German by the French premier in one particularly explosive meeting. The rift between American and French leaders had arrived at long last, but it was hardly likely to be a fight either man would benefit from. Amidst a terrible illness, Wilson declared his intention to return to the United States, and requested his boat prepare itself at Brest. This was too much for Clemenceau, who backtracked, and was even somewhat nice to Wilson in the French press. Yet this was a Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one - Wilson was worn out and ill from the bust up, and further afield, it was becoming clear that France and America were by no means the only issue of concern which the creaking Council of Four would have to deal...
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi there, history friends. Just a very brief reminder that this podcast is on Twitter. |
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| 0:22.9 | Well, hey, I'm that selfish, forcing you to set up a Twitter account just for my own benefit. |
| 0:28.6 | Twitter is a great way to contact me, to stay in touch with what I'm doing, and to also engage |
| 0:35.0 | in some pretty cool history discussion. |
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| 0:39.1 | day history post talking to you about what happened in history eximated of years ago. So |
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