Compare And Contrast The Ratification Of The Treaty Of Versailles Dbq

On January 18, 1918, Woodrow Wilson presented to the government his Fourteen Points that, he believed, highlighted the nation’s passion for war. Under the Points were the ideas of self-determination and the League of Nations that helped strengthen the power of the Treaty of Versailles. It was both the fault of the Irreconciliables and President Wilson that led to the United States’ decline in the Treaty of Versailles and all things associated with it. While politicians sided against the strict guidelines of Wilson’s Points, public sentiment favored the ratification of the treaty. The politicians, conservatives and liberal, and President Wilson shared the same stubbornness concerning the changes and ideas along with the Treaty of Versailles

If Wilson and the government were more flexible to the other’s ideas, the Treaty of Versaille would have had a completely different effect on the world and events after the signature. The New Republic published that the idea of peace after the Great War was impossible with the ratification of the Treaty as it only intensified rather than healed worldly tensions.(Doc. B) The article published under the perspective of those who opposed Wilson, as it brought the light how the world actually felt after the war. Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts tried his best to stop Wilson’s Points and the Treaty as many Irreconcilables opposed Wilson’s principles outlined in his work. If Lodge had ratified the Treaty along with other Senators, American worldly involvement would have impacted Europe with its ever growing presence. Woodrow Wilson proclaimed in “Appeal to the Country” that the Founding Fathers saw America as a light and leader to world that pushed for the rights of others, which he believed, was thoroughly expressed in the League of Nations. (Doc. G) Wilson fully supported the idea of American involvement in the Treaty and League as these came directly from the idea of his Fourteen Points. Wilson’s Fourteen Points were ideas for postwar Europe, eight being specific recommendations for adjusting postwar boundaries and establish

William Borah proclaimed in his speech in the United States Senate to not be too trusting in the nations involved in the League, for there is a possibility of nations’ not completely following their rules. (Doc. A) As this was in the US Senate, Borah appealed to the Senators by telling Wilson their undying opinions on the Treaty. Wilson’s inflexible ideas led to America not signing the Treaty because the Senate Foreign Relations Committee once sent a treaty to the Senate for ratification of almost fifty ideas that Wilson refused to consider. If Wilson had considered at one of the many ideas, liberals and conservatives might have approved of the ratification and signing of the Treaty. Woodrow Wilson declared in his speech his love for the logical League of Nations and his disappointment to not fulfill his words and actions to the people as the Treaty and his ideas were not ratified. (Doc. C) Wilson’s belief in the League of Nations sparked a controversy topic as Americans were considering whether or not to involve themselves in international problems and solutions. Wilson’s ignorance in ideas other than his own led to the downfall as he told Democrats to vote only for a treaty with no changes and to defeat any other version, which led to all but one Democrat following the instructions and the support for the