3. The allies didn't just fear Germany — they were wary of rising American power
When the fighting stopped in 1918, London and Paris weren't concerned just about containing postwar Germany. They also cast a wary eye at the United States, the partner whose entry swung the war in their favor but also a partner who stood to take on an increasing role in determining strategy if the war continued into German territory.
Already dependent on U.S. financing, the Entente believed its role at the peace talks would be
further subordinated to Washington if the war effort relied more heavily on American dollars, dreadnoughts and doughboys. If the Entente could credibly claim the lion's share of work bringing the Germans to the table — as they could in 1918 — they stood a better chance of retaining their empires and enjoying the spoils of war (read: reparations and conquests).
But if they went for Lloyd George's knockout blow, they risked losing their own positions in the global hierarchy to
Wilson's radical vision for reshaping the global order, which foresaw the humbling of European imperialism before the unparalleled financial and military might of the United States. Continuing the war with a more powerful American partner might bring about Wilson's desired "
peace without victory" — with that victory snatched away from a fully exhausted Entente. Precisely because a United States that was more powerful in Europe couldn't be denied a larger say in strategy and in the negotiation of a final peace treaty, the Entente powers gave up on their dreams of inflicting a total defeat on Germany.
