Why Treaty Of Versaille Not Ratified

568 Words3 Pages
There are many reasons why the US failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Wilson, the president that proposed the treaty, was not incredibly popular with the Senate at the time. He was very stubborn in accepting any amendments to the treaty. With the opposition from minorities, Senate, and especially Lodge, it is clear why the US did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles. First and foremost, Wilson was incredibly unwilling to alter anything about the Treaty; he refused all compromise. There is some background to this as well – much of Congress was Republican or had recently switched to being Republican. Obviously, there is inevitable opposition as Wilson was a Democrat, and he refused to allow any Republicans to assist in writing the treaty. His strong stance on the necessity of the League of Nations went against the Monroe Doctrine, which declared a policy of isolationism that led the US into a period of prosperous economic success, and made congressmen very frustrated with him. Furthermore, Congress was disappointed in the fact that Wilson left some important things in order to compromise with the other countries. Many people believed the League of Nations was completely unnecessary for the US, since it mostly dealt with issues not concerning the US. They did not want to get involved with future European affairs. However, Wilson believed that the only way to prevent future wars was to establish the League of Nations. Wilson’s rock solid position on the League of Nations was one of the most significant reasons why the treaty was never passed. Had he been more lenient and willing to change some aspects to the treaty, it might have had a fighting chance, as it only needed 7 more votes to get it signed. Not only did both liberals and conservatives oppose the treaty, but minority groups and other countries felt strong opposition to the treaty as well. The
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