20th+

"Let's retrace on a map a summary of WWI, the so-called "Great War". This video summarises the period since the rise of nationalism in the middle of the 19th century until the signing of peace treaties after 1918."

On the 19th of November 1919 the United States Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles, falling short of the two-third majority required to ratify.

The Treaty of Versailles (Traité de Versailles) marked the official end of the First World War and laid the foundation for the League of Nations, an international organization aimed at preventing future conflicts. For U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, the treaty was the embodiment of his idealistic vision for a more peaceful and just world. He believed that the League of Nations, which he had proposed, would provide a forum for nations to resolve disputes peacefully.

However, a major obstacle to the treaty's ratification was Wilson's strained working relationship with Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, the influential chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Lodge, a prominent Republican, had fundamental disagreements with Wilson on key treaty provisions.

Article X of the Covenant of the League of Nations represented Wilson's unshakable belief in collective security. Lodge and his Republican counterparts, however, saw it as a threat to American sovereignty. Republicans preferred unilateral action, asserting that America should independently determine its involvement in global conflicts. Wilson was aiming for international cooperation, but many Republicans prioritized safeguarding American interests.

Wilson embarked on a nationwide tour to secure public support for the treaty, but his efforts were in vain. Lodge and Senate Republicans proposed amendments and, on November 19, 1919 the Senate voted down the Treaty of Versailles by 55 in favour to 39, falling short of the required two-thirds majority. It was the first time the Senate had rejected a peace treaty.

The rejection had profound consequences. While it signalled a definitive adoption of isolationism in American foreign policy, the absence of the United States from the League of Nations undermined the organisation's effectiveness from the outset.

Pages

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Great Powers, Spheres of Influence 1815-2020

Saturday, May 30, 2020

1848 European Tensions, WW1, Versailles

1848 Middle East 2020

Government in Europe - 1871-2022

Italo-Ethiopian Wars - 1894-6 & 1935-7

sī vīs pācem, parā bellum