Final answer:
Woodrow Wilson presented the Fourteen Points to Congress, proposing principles like free trade, diplomacy, self-determination, and disarmament to prevent future wars, and introducing the concept of the League of Nations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Woodrow Wilson gave his Fourteen Points speech to Congress on January 18, 1918. These points were designed as a set of principles to establish a framework for a peaceful world after the end of World War I. These provisions aimed to prevent future conflicts by promoting free trade, diplomacy, national self-determination, and disarmament. Wilson's vision included the creation of an international organization, the League of Nations, as a key component to ensure collective security and maintain peace. He proposed reductions in armaments, freedom of the seas, and the abolition of secret treaties, among other things. Despite being greeted with skepticism by some allies and adversaries alike at the time, Wilson's Fourteen Points became a part of his legacy and a benchmark for idealistic internationalism.