Ratification Battle in the U.S. over the Treaty of Versailles after WWI
After the long and deadly First World War, of which the U.S. had been embroiled in for over a year, people were finally ready for their soldiers to come home. Some were even ready for peace. However, many Europeans had lost everything in the war and were not ready for peace. They were ready for revenge. The Treaty of Versailles reflected those sentiments. Internationally, the battle over the terms of the Treaty of Versailles was between those, such as Woodrow Wilson, who wanted a “peace without victory” and those who wanted to punish Germany for starting the war. At home in America, the battle over the treaty was quite different. It was a bitter dispute with no resolution, but many unintended consequences. The failure of the U.S. government to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations resulted in American isolationism and a lack of oversight in Germany, both of which were contributing factors to the beginning of the Second World War. In the battle over the ratification of the treaty, there were three main factions. The first was the supporters of the treaty in its original form, led by Woodrow Wilson. The second faction was the Reservationists. This group was in favor of the treaty, but only after it had been modified to their interests. The third group opposed the treaty under any circumstance. At this time, they were known as Irreconcilables. Looking at their overall ideals and philosophies, however, they are more aptly called Isolationists. These were the people who had never wanted to enter the war in the first place. Now that the war was over, they wanted America to stay out of European affairs and focus on domestic issues. They also did not like the idea of the League of Nations. They felt that war was bred through contact and involvement, or alliances, with other nations. Therefore, the only way to avoid war was to cut all ties and make no alliances with other countries. This faction often referenced George Washington’s farewell