President Woodrow Wilson's Loss Of Peace After World War I

As World War I came to a close, nations needed a way to keep the peace and prevent another world war from occurring. The Big Four - United Kingdom, France, the United States and Italy - attended the Peace Conference to determine what is known as the Treaty of Versailles. When taken back to the United States Senate, the ratification of the treaty was denied. Senator Harry Cabot Lodge and his committee offered some suggestions and were willing to compromise, but President Woodrow Wilson was sticking to his realistic ideal, therefore President Wilson is to blame for the defeat of the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles due to the feud between Senate and President Wilson, Wilson’s headstrong idea of his Fourteen Points, and Wilson’s health
Under the treaty, they established four key points to settle the peace. They wanted a redistribution of land, a nation to pay back they reparations, an adjustment to national militaries, and a nation to place the blame of the war on. Germany received full blame for World War I Germany had the Rhineland taken away from them and in total took 10% of their land away and all of the possessions they had overseas. They were demilitarized through the treaty. Their intense reparations caused hyperinflation, the rise of extremists into power, and a Great Depression. Many senators in Congress believed that this was too harsh on Germany due to the idea that no single nation or person was to blame for the start of the war, but this did not make them against the treaty. They believed that it was fair for what Germany did, but this could lead them into another war. Also, the Democrats of the Senate were not happy when President Wilson went to the Peace Conference without any democratic representation. This made the Irreconcilables weary about signing off on the ratification of the treaty and led them to begin bargaining with President
Article X stated, “The Members of the League undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all Members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression the Council shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall be fulfilled.” This translates to the United States would give aid to any nation in the League of Nations if needed. President Wilson argued that this would give the United States better security and better living. Evidence suggests that the senators did not believe this would end well and they leaned toward an isolationism type of government. The senators believed it would be best if the United States stayed out of European affairs. This opposed President Wilson’s view as stated in his Fourteen Points. President Wilson’s most emphasized point was to have an international law and committee of all nations to keep peace and avoid another war. This article would be a violation of sovereignty for the Senate. The Irreconcilables believed that they could settle a compromise that would retain the peace and also give senate a right to declare war, yet President Wilson did not agree with