Woodrow Wilson's Influence On US Foreign Relations

The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, and officially put an end to the war in Europe. No treaty has ever been so complicated and progressive. No treaty has ever had such a lasting impact on so many different nations. Ultimately, the terms of the treaty led to the United States rejecting it. Instead, it turned inwards, retreating to a sense of normalcy on the grounds of nationalism, rejecting it in favor of isolationism. However, Woodrow Wilson’s vision laid the groundwork for future United States politicians to have a much more liberal stance on U.S. foreign relations. Before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, the Allied Powers and the Central Powers signed an armistice. The armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. The fighting
He knew that a 2/3 majority was needed in the Senate to ratify the treaty. It was clear from the beginning that the rest of the big four weren't on board with Wilson’s 14 points. His vision went beyond the big four countries and would affect how the entire globe should be operated (1, page 56). It was hard to get everyone in agreement on a global peace plan. Wilson came as an outsider from across the Atlantic, not a European country, and had different feelings, outlooks, and a different idea for peace. After the war, European countries became nationalistic. Wilson did not get support from them, as they were focused on making Germany pay their war reparations and publicly admit to starting the war. Wilson went back to America and tried to get Congress and the American people on board with the Treaty of Versailles. All treaties signed by the U.S. must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate, and in November 1918, the Democrats had lost control of the Senate (2, page 456). The hangup was mostly the League of Nations. A group of Senators refused to support the treaty no matter what and believed that joining an international organization put American sovereignty in danger (2, page 456). Wilson then went to the American people in hopes to get their support, but the American people did not want to be a part of the League. They wanted a sense of normalcy. They wanted to go back to the country’s
In 1920 Warren Harding won the presidential election, by stating that the U.S. needs “a return to normalcy” and needs to focus on domestic problems. During the 1920s, foreign policy was focused on isolationist policies (4). The U.S. focused on building the domestic economy by supporting business growth, urging industrial expansion, imposing tariffs on imported goods and limiting immigration, as written by Norwich University. Ultimately, the Treaty of Versailles failed. It aimed for global peace and was too much for the nations involved to handle. It led to a split in how Americans viewed foreign policy with most of the citizens and politicians wanting isolationism; however, a handful of democrats and supporters of Woodrow Wilson wanted to continue to try and advocate for the treaty and the League of Nations. The isolationists got their way, rejecting the treaty and the league; although, it was a short-lived victory because in the near future, another war would push American politicians to wholeheartedly embrace Wilson's 14 points and go far beyond what Wilson could have ever imagined. The U.S. would ultimately become the biggest global power, using its navy and military to sail across the globe, pushing freedom and democracy in countries thousands of miles