U.S. Reaction to the Treaty

The reaction from the U.S. Senate was not a favorable one, as the Republicans and the Foreign Relations Committee fiercely opposed U.S. membership in the League of Nations and by extension, the Treaty. The Treaty of Versailles threatened the U.S. foreign policy of isolationism to shield our country from European affairs. Republicans, namely Henry Lodge, argued that joining the League would lessen the government's power to have a say in U.S. foreign policy and impede upon our state sovereignty. He believed that, under Article X, the U.S. was required to commit economically or militarily to conquer aggression against a member nation and secure its safety, independence, and stability. According to Lodge, this provision meant that U.S. military forces would be under foreign leadership of the League of Nations to protect the territories of other nations and would be participating in wars that were politically irrelevant to America. Supporters of isolationism feared that the League would obligate the country to have a more permanent involvement in global affairs. They believed that more contact with Europe would lead to more conflicts.

Some Americans of different ethnic groups felt that their country was being ignored, neglected, or treated too harshly. Despite Wilson being the driving force behind the creation of the League of Nations, America never joined and the U.S. Senate, dominated by Wilson's Republican opponents, never ratified the Treaty of Versailles. Arguably, Wilson was not satisfied with the outcome of the Treaty, since he predicted that imposing severe conditions on Germany would lead to a Second World War. The U.S.' absence from the organization severely weakened it and laid the foundations for a bloodier and more devastating war.