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The Illusion Of Victory: America In World War I by [Thomas Fleming]

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Thomas Fleming

The Illusion Of Victory: America In World War I Kindle Edition

by Thomas Fleming (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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The political history of the American experience in World War I is a story of conflict and bungled intentions that begins in an era dedicated to progressive social reform and ends in the Red Scare and Prohibition. Thomas Fleming tells this story through the complex figure of Woodrow Wilson, the contradictory president who wept after declaring war, devastated because he knew it would destroy the tolerance of the American people, but who then suppressed freedom of speech and used propaganda to excite America into a Hun-hating mob. This is tragic history: inexperienced American military leaders drove their troops into gruesome slaughters; progressive politics were put on hold in America; an idealistic president's dreams were crushed because of his own negligence. Wilson's inability to convince Congress to ratify U.S. membership in the League of Nations was one of the most poignant failures in the history of the American presidency, but even more heartrending were Wilson's concessions to his bitter allies in the Treaty of Versailles. In exchange for Allied support of the League of Nations, he allowed an unfair peace treaty to be signed, a treaty that played no small role in the rise of National Socialism and the outbreak of World War II. Thomas Fleming has once again created a masterpiece of narrative American history. This incomparable portrait shows how Wilson sacrificed his noble vision to megalomania and single-mindedness, while paying homage to him as a visionary whose honorable spirit continues to influence Western politics.

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573 pages
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English
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Basic Books
Publication date

August 5, 2008
File size

2568 KB
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Editorial Reviews

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In 1919 Woodrow Wilson came to Versailles almost universally praised as the embodiment of the hopes of the world for a more peaceful future. Nine decades later, there is a general consensus that his idealism and rigidity led to disasters at the peace conference and during the immediate postwar period. Historian Fleming presents what some may regard as a hatchet job. He portrays Wilson, sometimes unfairly, as vain, bigoted, intolerant, and quite willing to use governmental power to repress even mild dissension. Yet, if Fleming's personal attacks are over the top, his analyses of the consequences of Wilson's decisions are on the mark. To obtain French and British acceptance of the League of Nations, Wilson accepted their blatantly unjust punitive measures against Germany. Then, his refusal to compromise doomed acceptance of the League of Nations in the U.S. Senate. His "war to end all wars" led directly to an even more horrible conflagration 20 years later. This is a generally credible indictment of a man whose good intentions failed to deal with reality. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

"A provocative read.... [Fleming's] analysis of the consequences of Wilson's decisions are on the mark." --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

ASIN : B00AFYVIDO
Publisher : Basic Books; Export Ed edition (August 5, 2008)
Publication date : August 5, 2008
Language : English
File size : 2568 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 573 pages
Page numbers source ISBN : 0465024696
Lending : Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #329,136 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #226 in World War I History (Kindle Store)
- #657 in World War I History (Books)
- #1,969 in World History (Kindle Store)

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69 ratings

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B. Crosby

Wilson is basically a gimpy, impotent moron

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2013

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While the author does tend to come across as slightly biased in favor of Germany, by comparison to all the anti-German, pro-English propaganda both in England and America, his bias is barely perceptible. This book will simply blow your mind away. It reminds me of a book I read about the Korean War that said it was really the second half of the war between the Japanese-collaborating government in Korea and the Koreans fighting the Japanese in Manchuria. This book dispells all the myths and glamor and idealism of Wilson and his 14 Points and League of Nations. The author argues that Wilson merely used idealistic rhetoric as a rhetorical device, like when a pal steals the last chicken wing, you go, "This is not a matter of just decorum but justice and equality and the fate of all humanity and the fabric of society and nobility that you have committed this atrocious evil by taking the last chicken wing." He portrays Wilson as a nutty professor easily manipulated by much more savvy politicians from England and France. The English and French actually used his 14 Points and League of Nations against him to get him to accept ridiculous war reparations which included the pensions of all English and French soldiers!!! America also passed the Espionage Act which basically shredded the 1st Amendment and allowed feds to imprison anyone who criticized the war effort, in fact, anyone who besmirched England! This book is MIND-BLOWING. Long, but mind-blowing. Wilson is also a hypocrite who called non-WASPs, hyphenates in a derogatory manner as in, "Irish-American" "Italian-American" "Chinese-American"

15 people found this helpful

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C. McKenna

Obama Redux

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014

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I am amazed at the similarities between the current Obama administration and the difficulties Wilson had.
Obama and Wilson are/were both academics with minimal administrative experience and both seem(ed) to think that words alone would have the power to create good outcomes.
They were both clearly in over their heads and made every effort to demonize their opposition. With Wilson the Constitution became more of a suggestion than a guiding principle. Obama seems to view it the same way.

I have long had some awareness of Wilson's self-righteousness and how in love he was with his own greatness -- and how he thought his ideas would trump those of mere mortals, but this book spells it out.

Very disturbing how much trouble one man can cause and how many can die when an ideologue gets in charge.

11 people found this helpful

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Crosslands

Outstanding History

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2009

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Mr. Fleming has written a very informative, readable, and witty book on the American experience during World War I. Mr. Fleming's book does not only contain a vast amount of factual material but presents this material about a very tragic period in a manner that is both readable and entertaining.

Mr. Fleming doe not hesitate to gore sacred cows, particularly of the Allied hagliographies. He names Douglas Haig as one of the worst generals in history. He demolishes Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, and Poincare. He exposes Summerhill for his leading more young Americans to their death just before the armistance. Then there is Lord Northcliffe, aka Alfred Harmsworth, who owned a lot of the bigger newspapers in Great Britain and exposed his readers to mounds of often fallacious hate propaganda.

Mr. Fleming takes a quite critical look at President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson had his ideals. But he was both arrogant and often removed from reality. He permitted great violations of civil liberties in America during the war period. His fanatical devotion to the League of Nations caused him to allow Lloyd George and Clemenceau to destroy any semblence of a just peace based on the Fourteen Points.

Mr. Fleming demonstrates that entering World War I was a colossal mistake. He narrates the opposing Senators as demonstrating that many other countries including Brazil were quite willing to live with the German U boat blockade. He exposes the ship Lustiana, whose sinking was a prime argument of the warmongers, was a munitions ship as much as a passenger ship. He also demonstrates Great Britain was also violated freedom of the seas by blockading Germany causing starvation in the country.

Also exposed is the food blockade of Germany after the signing of the armistance. Thus starvation continued in Germany. The greatest success of the blockade was to recruit kids who went hungry and helplessly saw their families starve as SS officers.

Of course Imperial Germany was far from perfect too. But this war was a vast waste and and devasting in its effects. The war enabled such monsters as Lenin, Hitler, and Stalin to rise. Again, U.S. entry was a big mistake.

If there was any hero in this period it was Robert La Follette, who saw through the nationalist rot and maintained human decency while others around descended to madness and pagan tribal rage. Fleming's book provides an important warning about ultra nationalism and state worship. This book should be read by all Americans.

One final quote (p. 39): "James Heflin of Alabama told Kitchen [Democratic House leader who voted against the war] that he should have resigned as house leader before he made such a statement - and then resigned his seat. John Lawson Burnett of Alabama said that Heflin ought to prove his patriotism first by enlisting in the army as a private."

23 people found this helpful

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Ted Zaharchuk

An interesting read.

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2014

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An interesting book, written by one who has little respect for Woodrow Wilson. Like many other books on war, this one shows that it takes time for a nation to convert itself into a productive war machine. Since the USA spent only a little over a year in this conflict, its armed forces were just becoming an efficient force when the war came to an end.

The author's characterization of Woodrow Wilson is very negative. I know enough history of this time to agree that Wilson was a petty, racist, mean spirited and generally ineffective President. Then when he had a stroke and refused to give up power he really demonstrated his true character.

5 people found this helpful

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