Wilson's Contributions to the Paris Peace Conference/Treaty of Versailles
President Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference in Europe where he helped to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. His contribution to this conference are known as his Fourteen Points. If countries did the fourteen things that he outlined, he felt that future wars could be prevented and world peace assured. The most famous of his Fourteen Points was the creation of a League of Nations--an organization of nations that would defend each other against aggressors. Article X of the League of Nations stated that league members would help other League members facing aggression. |
Why did the United States Reject the Treaty of Versailles?
Wilson returned to the United States from the Paris Peace Conference needing the support of 2/3 of the US Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles that he had just helped to negotiate. Things did not go according to plan for Wilson as many of his Senators, and even the American public, were isolationists who did not want to become entangled in Europe's conflicts again moving forward. Because of these isolationists sentiments, Republicans in Congress strongly objected Article X of the League of Nations which would have obligated the US to help other League countries when they were in trouble. Wilson refused to compromise, firmly believing in the idea of his League of Nations. In the end, the Senate rejected Wilson's Treaty of Versailles and the United States never joined the League of Nations. Americans ultimately decided that they wanted to avoid entanglements with Europe. |
Washington Naval Conference 1921-1922, Washington DC
The world's first disarmament conference, this was in place of the US joining the League of Nations. President Harding and his cabinet entered into a series of negotiations with other major powers of the world to promote world peace and disarmament. The following resulted from this conference--
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