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威尔逊总统推进和谈以结束战争

本周，我们继续向您讲述威尔逊总统和美国参加一战的故事。

1918年是第一次世界大战的最后一年，第一次世界大战是迄今以来最为残酷最为血腥的战争，然而，战争并不是那么轻易就能结束的。德国军队为抵抗协约国进攻做了最后的努力。美国已经卷入战争，因此德国想在美国更大规模的军队进入欧洲之前取得这场战争的胜利。德国的这一最后的努力由于与俄罗斯布尔什维克新政府签署了和平条约而变得很轻松，因为这一条约使得德国能够将它所有的兵力全部投向西线的协约国军队。然而，德国这一计划最后还是失败了，协约国军队经过一系列血腥的战斗击退了德军的进攻。美军的援助极大地增强了协约国的力量。

美军在欧洲的指挥官是约翰.潘兴将军。潘兴将军在这次世界大战中使用了一种新的武器：空中力量，即飞机。飞机最开始只是用来“空中侦察”，用飞机来发现敌人的位置，然后让大炮对敌人进行轰炸，后来，这些飞机变成了战斗机，美军用它来打别的飞机，最后，能够携带炸弹的大型轰炸机出现了。潘兴将军还在战场上使用另一种新的武器：坦克。潘兴在作战计划中将美国这些新发明综合使用来对付德军。

潘兴将军的目标是阿贡森林（Argonne Forest），这片森林自1914年就被德军占领，德军在这里设置铁丝网和钢筋泥土的碉堡，这里是德军防线最坚固也是最为重要的地方，如果阿贡森林防线被攻破，那么德军整个防线就将被攻破。阿贡森林战役打得非常的激烈，数以千计的人阵亡，有时军队都迷路了，因为这片森林太茂密了。但随着时间的过去，协约国军队步步进逼，德军步步败退。

德军将领正对战争失去希望，1918年9月，德国威廉皇帝召见他们，这位德军的最高长官得到的报告是德国将失去这场战争，德国必须将占领的领土退回，并想办法开始和平谈判，否则没有什么选择。其他一些官员还说，国内形势也非常严峻，人们正遭受饥饿，阴谋推翻政府的革命正在策划。威廉皇帝赞同现在最好的选择就是寻求和平，…。在德国未被完全打败之前，威廉皇帝要求他的外交部长向美国总统伍德罗.威尔逊送去一封密信，密信建议立即举行和平谈判以结束战争。

威逊总统接受了德国的建议，但他没有将德国的密信告诉其他协约国的领导人，而是直接回复了德国的密信，威尔逊问德国否能够接受他几个月前提出的和平建议。德国大臣回答说德国接受美国提出的和平建议。然而，由于战场上发生了一系列事件，最终导致德国和美国的秘密交易终止。德国潜艇加大了进攻协约国的船只，有两艘客船被击沉，820名乘客遇难，其中许多是妇女和儿童。威尔逊总统震惊了，他对德国人说，对这样没有人性的敌人是没有和平可言的。

1918年10月，威尔逊最后给德国发去一封信，他希望达成一项解决方案，使德国不能够再次发动战争。威尔逊说：德国必须承诺将军队从所有协约国的领土上撤出，而且必须关闭兵工厂。另外威尔逊还说，协约国只与代表人民的德国政府会谈，而不与军方统治者会谈。新任的德国大臣是巴登的王子（Prince of Baden）马克西米利安（Maximilian，简称马克西），马克西王子收到了威尔逊的信，他成功地让威廉皇帝解除了德国军事政策制定者的权力，但他没能让威廉皇帝放弃权力。

并非所有协约国领导人都同意威尔逊结束第一次世界大战的计划的，他们对计划中一些部分不同意。例如，英国反对海上自由航行，英国说，这会阻止目前针对德国的很有效的各种海上封锁。法国和意大利则反对计划中关于创立一个新的国际组织。威尔逊称这个新的国际组织为国际联盟（league of nations，即国联）。为了解决协约国之间的分歧，威尔逊派了亲密的顾问前往欧洲与协约国各国的领导人会谈。这次会议持续时间很长，有时还很激烈，许多协约国领导人认为威尔逊对敌人太过友好了。但最终，他们都同意了威尔逊提出的有关结束第一次世界大战的计划，并将之作为和平谈判的开始。

此时，即1918年11月，德国的局势进一步恶化，共产主义者和社会主义者正呼吁造反，海军接到命令要出海，但士兵们拒绝，并杀死了一些军官。有报道说，在德国陆军中也出现了造反的情况。德军领导人再也没有别的选择，他们将与协约国举行和平谈判。1918年11月8日早晨，一个德国代表团前往协约国军总部商讨和平条款。

接待德国代表团的是协约国军队最高指挥官法国元帅费尔南德.福煦（Marshal Ferdinand Foch），福煦元帅对德国代表团的到来很冷淡，在德军代表团没有提出正式停火要求前，他没有提出任何有关和平的条款。是德国而不是协约国首先放下武器。当德国代表团听到这样的条款时震惊了，协约国提出的条款是非常严厉的，包括：德国必须撤出所有占领的领土，必须放弃曾经由法国控制了五十年的阿尔萨斯――洛林地区，必须放弃包括飞机、潜艇和军舰在内的武器，还必须将所掠夺的大量卡车、火车和其他设备移交给协约国。

德国代表团说，他们不会签署这样的条约。他们说，德国不是投降，而只是要求停火；代表团不可能在没与柏林政府沟通的情况下就签署这样的条约。然而，柏林政府正处于崩溃边缘，威廉二世最终退位并离开了德国，一个新的内阁成立了，新总理宣布德国为共和国，然而德国的局势并未因此而好转。正因为如此，与协约国谈判的德国代表团不得不自行决定。经过艰苦的会谈，德国代表团最终还是同意了协约国提出的条款，他们签署了这份和平条约。停火从签署条约后一个小时开始。

停火的消息引发全世界的广泛庆祝，人们到大街上狂欢，他们欢呼这有史以来最可怕战争终于结束了。同样，在战场上士兵们也欢呼停火，但他们的欢呼是平静的，士兵们从战壕中爬出来，与刚刚还是相互射击的敌人会面。这场血腥的欧洲冲突终于结束了。然而，矛盾并未因此而解决，另一场激烈的战斗即将开始。这次上战场的是各国的外交官们，这是一场围绕签署和平条约正式结束第一次世界大战的斗争。

欲知后事如何，请看下周分解。

简评：

是呀，一场血腥的战争，终于结束了。然而问题却并没有因此而解决。这就说明，战争是永远无法解决问题的。要说解决，充其量也只是暂时解决，如德国被迫接受他不得不接受的条件，一旦德国条件好转时，原先被压下的矛盾就会再次爆发出来。

战争只能带来仇恨，永远无法带来和平。然而，战争却又是几乎无法避难的，因为人与人是不同的，有人的地方就有矛盾，而每个人解决矛盾的方式方法也是不同的，有的人愿意采取和平的方式来解决，而有的人就是愿意用武力来解决，尽管他们知道，武力并不能解决问题。

虎无伤人意，人有伤虎心。这个社会，所谓的诚信，从来都是相对的，严格来说，是严重缺乏的。否则，整个社会、整个世界就和谐了，就不会有这么多的矛盾了。因此，现在，世界新一轮军备竞赛，特别是东亚地区的军备竞赛正在上演，目的是什么？难道都真的像日本那样，就是为了侵略别人吗？我看不是，我想更多的是为了防别人。尽管许多国家都说，增强军备只是为了自卫，可有几个人相信呢？而如果不增加军备，甚至放弃军备，那就真的可能成为别人案版上的肉了。

人类一方面千方百计地为自己创造各种的财富，另一方面却又在千方百计地消耗这些财富，无端地浪费自然界的资源，无端地破坏整个自然环境，这又是何苦呢？都说人是能够思考的动物，是万物之首，难道人类的智慧真的就是如此吗？

President Wilson Helps Negotiate an End to World War　

A poster for selling liberty bonds shows Uncle Sam with a truck full of citizens holding bonds under a sign saying "To Berlin"　这是一张发行“自由公债”的海报，海报上表现的是山姆大叔与满载手拿公债高唱“向柏林”进发的市民的卡车

This week in our series, we continue the story of President Woodrow Wilson and American involvement in World War One.

Nineteen eighteen was the final year of the most terrible war the world had ever known. But World War One did not end quickly or easily. The German Army made a final effort to defeat the Allies. The United States had entered the conflict. And Germany wanted a victory before large numbers of American troops could get to Europe. Germany's effort became easier after it signed a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government in Russia. The treaty made it possible for Germany to use all its forces against the Allies on its western border. In the end, however, Germany's plan failed. Allied troops pushed back the German attack in a series of bloody battles. The addition of American soldiers greatly increased Allied strength.　

The leader of American forces in Europe was General John?J. Pershing. General Pershing used a weapon new to the world of war: air power. Airplanes were used first simply as 'eyes in the sky'. They discovered enemy positions so ground artillery could fire at them. Then they were used as fighter planes. They carried guns to shoot down other planes. Finally, planes were built big enough to carry bombs. General Pershing also used another new weapon of war: tanks. He put these inventions together for his battle plan against Germany.　

German soldiers standing around a German tank as other soldiers make repairs　一些德国士兵在维修一辆坦克，其他士兵则围着这辆坦克

Pershing's target was the Argonne Forest. It was a tree-covered area Germany had held since nineteen fourteen. The forest was protected by barbed wire and by defensive positions built of steel and concrete. It was the strongest part of the German line. It also was the most important part. If Argonne fell, Germany's final lines of defense would fall. The fighting in the Argonne Forest was fierce. Thousands of men died. Sometimes, troops got lost because the forest was so thick with trees. But day by day, the Allies pushed the Germans back.　

Germany's leaders were losing hope. In September, nineteen eighteen, they met with German ruler Kaiser Wilhelm. The army chief reported that the war was lost. Germany had no choice, he said. It must give back all the territory it had seized and try to negotiate a peace agreement. Other officials told the Kaiser that the situation at home was bad, too. People were starving. Revolutionaries were plotting to overthrow the government. Kaiser Wilhelm agreed it might be best to seek peace now. . . Before Germany was destroyed completely. He asked his foreign secretary to send a secret message to American President Woodrow Wilson. The message would propose immediate negotiations to end the war.　

From left, General Paul von Hindenburg, Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Erich Ludendorff examine maps　从左起：保罗.范.兴登堡（Paul von Hindenburg）将军、威廉二世和埃里希.鲁登道夫（Erich Ludendorff）将军在看地图

President Wilson received it. He did not tell the other Allied leaders. Instead, he returned a message to Germany. Wilson asked if Germany was willing to accept the peace proposals he had offered many months earlier. Germany's Chancellor answered that his government did accept the proposals. However, the events of war ended the secret exchange of messages between Germany and the United States. German submarines had increased attacks on Allied shipping. Two passenger ships were sunk. Eight hundred twenty persons were killed. Many were women and children. President Wilson was shocked. He told Germany there could be no peace negotiations with such an inhuman enemy.　

In late October, nineteen eighteen, Wilson sent a final message to Germany. He wanted a settlement that would make it impossible for Germany to fight again. Germany, Wilson said, must promise to withdraw its forces from all Allied territory. It also must close its weapons factories. Wilson added that the Allies would negotiate only with a government that truly represented the people of Germany. . . not with military rulers. The new German Chancellor was Maximilian, Prince of Baden. Prince Max received President Wilson's message. He succeeded in getting Kaiser Wilhelm to dismiss the man responsible for German military policy. But he failed to get the Kaiser himself to give up power.　

President Woodrow Wilson

Not all allied leaders supported President Wilson's plan to end World War One. They could not agree on some parts of it. Britain, for example, opposed the part about freedom of the seas. Britain said it would prevent the kind of naval blockade which had been so effective against Germany. France and Italy opposed the part about creating a new international organization. Wilson had called it a league of nations. To solve these differences, Wilson sent his closest adviser to Europe to meet with Allied leaders. The discussions were long and sometimes bitter. Many of the Allies thought Wilson was being too kind to the defeated enemy. But in the end, they all agreed to accept the plan as a starting point for peace talks.　

By this time, in early November, the situation in Germany was growing worse. Communists and Socialists were calling for a rebellion. The navy was ordered to go to sea. Sailors refused, and killed some officers. Reports told of rebellion in parts of the German army, too. The nation's leaders had no choice. They would negotiate a peace treaty. On the morning of November eighth, a German delegation went to Allied military headquarters to discuss terms.　

The Germans were met by the Supreme Allied Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France. Foch greeted them coldly. And he did not offer peace terms until they officially asked for a ceasefire. Germany -- not the Allies -- had to put down its weapons first. The Germans were shocked when they heard the terms. The list was severe. Among other things, Germany must withdraw its forces from all occupied territories. It must give up Alsace-Lorraine, a part of France it had held for almost fifty years. It must give up most of its weapons including airplanes, submarines, and battleships. And it must turn over large numbers of trucks, railroad engines, and other supplies.　

The German delegation said it could not sign such an agreement. Germany, it said, was not surrendering. It was only asking for a ceasefire. The delegation said it could not accept the peace terms without communicating with the government in Berlin. But the German government was falling apart. Kaiser Wilhelm had finally resigned and left the country. A new cabinet had been formed. And a new prime minister had declared a German republic. Yet the situation remained unsettled. Because of this, the German delegation negotiating with the Allies had to decide for itself. After much argument, the men agreed to the Allied terms. They signed the peace treaty. A ceasefire began a few hours later.　

News that the shooting had stopped set off wild celebrations throughout the world. People danced in the streets. They cheered the end of the worst war in history. There were celebrations along the battle lines, too. But these were quiet. Soldiers from both sides climbed out of long trenches dug in the ground. They met the men who, a short while earlier, had been their deadly enemy. The bloody European conflict was over. The dispute, however, was not. Another fierce battle was ready to begin. This time, the battle would be among diplomats. The fight over the peace treaty officially ending World War One was about to begin.　

That will be our story next week.

http://www.21voa.com/path.asp?url=/201010/se-nation-160-woodrow-wilsonpt6-28oct10.mp3