Wilson's Condition for German Surrender: War Guilt and Reparations

When Germany sought an armistice in October 1918, President Woodrow Wilson insisted on preconditions before negotiations:

"Germany must accept full responsibility for causing the war and agree to pay reparations for all damage done to the civilian population and property of the Allies."

This demand—embodied in the Fourteen Points and later Article 231 (War Guilt Clause) of the Treaty of Versailles—became the foundation for the punitive reparations regime that destabilized Weimar Germany and fueled resentment. Wilson's idealism (League of Nations, self-determination) was compromised by Allied demands for vengeance and security; Germany signed under protest, viewing the terms as a Diktat.