by Robert Lansing
Robert Lansing (1864-1928) initially served the State Department as a lawyer and was known for his work on the Lansing-Ishii Agreement in 1917 with Japan over their changing relationship with China during Wor
ld War I. He became the Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, and a member of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace after the close of World War I.
However, Lansing did not share the same vision for the League of Nations that Wilson did. He and Wilson had a bitter falling out, particularly when Wilson had a stroke, and Lansing called for Thomas Marshall, the Vice President, to assume presidential duties. Edith Wilson, the wife of Woodrow, requested Lansing resign, and he did. He went back to practicing law in the private sector until he died in 1928. This work by Lansing focuses on the World War I peace negotiations and highlights his very different perspective of how events unfolded, suggesting alternative actions, and gives a fascinating glimpse at secretive international negotiations behind the scenes.
This edition is dedicated to Bruce Rich, keen scholar of international relations.
Westphalia Press 