Historical Investigation Woodrow WIlson

4) Agreed disarmament would prevent the repetition of an arms race that had racked up international tensions in the pre-war decade, especially in the reduction or abolition of a nation's military forces and armaments

Wilson’s Attempts to Convince the United States to the League; Americas Refusal

• Woodrow Wilson declares that the League of Nations is not an absolute insurance against war
• Wilson insists to the Americans that the League, even though flawed, is better than previous propositions of peace keepingnothing 
• Wilson tries to explain and acknowledge to America that the ‘Fourteen Points’ were made to reflect the moral judgment of his country, America, not just his own personal opinions  
• Strong isolationist opinions in regards to the League of Nations from the Senate
• Woodrow Wilson tried to convince the United States Senate to agree to the League of Nations
• President Wilson used several different arguments on the Senate, declares that there would be no peace of the world without America
• The United States reject the League of Nations

C: Evaluation of Sources

(Didn’t do yet! ☹ )

D: Analysis

The purpose of the League of Nations was to maintain the peace and order of the globe. The member nations pledged not to go to war and submit disputes to arbitration by the World Court. The League of Nations had started because of World War One which lasted from 1914 until 1918. Woodrow Wilson was unable to convince the United States to join the League of Nations.

In January of 1918, United States President Woodrow Wilson made a major speech to the Congress addressing his ‘Fourteen Points’. Thus, he believed that his ‘Fourteen Points’ were a base to postwar peace, and if followed, could prevent future wars. Britain and France, great powers at the end of World War One, preferred to just stick with the closest advance to an international political structure; the Congress System. They wanted to reorganize the old system instead of creating the League of Nations. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Woodrow Wilson incorporated his ‘Fourteen Points’ theory with the proposal of the League of Nations. There he became the chief figure in the establishment and creation of the League.

The basis of the League was the Covenant, which was included in the Treaty of Versailles along with the other peace treaties. The Covenant of the League of Nations consisted of 26 articles. The first seven articles concerned the organization of the globe, providing for an assembly. The assembly was to be composed of all member nations; a council, consisting of the great powers (originally Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, later also Germany and the USSR); four other nonpermanent members; and a secretariat. The assembly and the council were both empowered to discuss “any matter within the sphere of action of the League or affecting the peace of the world.” In both the assembly and the council, it was a requirement for all decisions to be agreed upon. Articles 8 and 9 recognized the need for disarmament and set up of military commissions. An attempt to guarantee the territorial integrity, political independence and freedom of member states against aggression was in Article 10. Articles 11 through 17 provided for the establishment of the Permanent Court of International Justice. Also, these articles showed the necessity for arbitration, conciliation, and for sanctions against aggressors. The remaining of the articles dealt with different treaties, colonial mandates, international cooperation in humanitarian enterprises and corrections to the Covenant.“these articles which were later incorporated into

        Wilson’s goal was to construct a more extensive and widespread global organization. He wanted to have every nation included, and all independent would have a voice.  Point fourteen of Woodrow Wilson’s ‘Fourteen Points’ completely supports this. “A General Association of Nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small States alike.” Woodrow Wilson’s aim was to bring the globe together, and to do that, he needed the League of Nations.

        The League of Nations was to be a promotion of international security. Its principle was to prevent future wars and conflicts between nations. A significant intention of the League was to eradicate four critical flaws of the old Europe states; national self-determination would create independent and separate nation states that would be free of interference from other uninvolved countries during the situation of rivalry between monarchical empires; the open discussion and resolution of troubles and disputes would take the place of the secret diplomacy of the old order; doubtful and untrustworthy military alliances would be substitutes for collective guarantees of security; and agreed disarmament would avoid and avert the recurrence of an arms race that had racked up international tensions in the pre-war decade, particularly in the reduction of a nation’s

military forces.

        Woodrow Wilson saw the growing opposition of the League of Nations in the United States. He declared in his speeches that the ‘Fourteen Points’ were not his points; in each and every one of them he was conscientiously trying to fulfill the wants of the people of the United States. President Wilson tried to convince America to the League even though it was flawed in a way that it was powerless to enforce decisions or punish. However, he tried to prove to Americans that the League was better than nothing.

        In the Senate of the United States, there were many highly-favored isolationist attitudes towards the League of Nations. On July 10 1919, Woodrow Wilson presented the League of Nations to the Senate and tried to persuade him by stating, “Dare we reject it and break the heart of the world?” A small number of ‘irreconcilables’ were completely against the League of Nations, however, many senators favored it. Nevertheless, two-thirds of the Senate was necessary for the ratification of the League.

        Woodrow Wilson continued to fight for his goal. The United States could not be isolated any longer in world affairs because it had become an establishing factor in human history and the development of civilization. Thus, President Wilson announced that the peace of the world could not be established without America. More men had been killed during World War One than from all the wars between 1793 to 1914; seven and a half million men. Wilson wanted to establish the League of Nations to prevent death of children fighting in a much worse war. The United States Senate refused to ratify the League. Therefore, the United States of America never joined the League of Nations.

E: Conclusion

        The study of the historiography of the League of Nations and the United States refusal to it is a very rewarding exercise for the understanding of the conflict. Even though World War One and the struggles for peace after it are over, it is undeniable to state that America’s refusal to the League was not significant. Although the League of Nations was proposed by American President Woodrow Wilson, the United States never joined the League

. The reason for America’s refusal to the League of Nations is the isolationist wants in the United States Senate. Thus, the Senate did not want America involved in global issues they thought did not ‘involve’ them. This school of thought was not realistic as America had become a determining factor in human history and the growth of civilization

Woodrow Wilson’s attempt to bring the world closer together and to prevent conflict and war is one to admire. Wilson’s efforts then could have given our entire history post World War One a different outcome. The question now is: what if the United States did join the League of Nations and would this have affected current wars and conflicts?  

F: List of Sources

Non-Written Sources

Beck, Sanderson. "Wilson and the League of Nations." 2003. http://www.san.beck.org/GPJ21-LeagueofNations.html#2 (accessed 18 Mar. 2007)

Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition, the. "League of Nations." November 2004. http://www.bartleby.com/65/le/LeagueNa.html (accessed 8 Mar. 2007)

Duffy, Michael. "President's Address in Favor of the League of Nations." 29 Nov. 2003. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/wilsonspeech_league.htm (accessed 8 Mar. 2007)

Townshend, Charles. "BBC: History - The League of Nations and the United Nations."   3 Mar. 2003. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/league_nations_01.shtml (accessed 8 Mar. 2007)

University of Virginia, the: Miller Centre of Public Affairs. "Biography of President Woodrow Wilson." April 2006. f (accessed 6 Mar. 2007)

Yale University, Avalon Project, the. "The Covenant of the League of Nations." 1996. http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/leagcov.htm (accessed 6 Mar. 2007)

Written Sources:

Wilson House, Woodrow. A Pictorial Summary, Geneva: League of Nations. “Origin of the League of Nations.” http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/14wilson/14images/14ill1h.jpg (accessed 18 Mar. 2007)

North, David. "What Really Happened to the League of Nations?" September 2002. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/sep2002/leag-s20.shtml (accessed 6 Mar. 2007)

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