Fourteen Points

Wilson’s speech relies heavily on assertion—making emphatic claims without providing evidence. He uses this technique to keep his speech concise so his core peace plan comes across clearly. A long speech, however elegant, would detract from his goal of providing a clear, compelling list of peace proposals. Wilson’s audience had a broad understanding of the war, so filling in details would be unnecessary. However, he also uses assertion to shape people’s perceptions of reality. Asserting that the Russian communists have proposed democratic principles expresses his hope for how they will act in the future and allows him to try to hold the current Allied Powers together. The accuracy of the statement is open to debate. His claim that Americans are fighting for justice without a desire to punish Germany is certainly true for some but probably not all Americans, and certainly not all of America’s allies. By making such assertions, he attempts to inspire people to hold those views. This can create public pressure to make those assertions a reality.