USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

[SOURCES]
Henry Cabot Lodge and other senators opposed ratification of the Treaty of Versailles because they believed the treaty

(A) failed to punish Germany

(B) excluded reparations for European allies

(C) ** could draw the U.S. into future conflict

(D) placed blame for WWI on all the warring countries

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -Some senators who opposed the Treaty of Versailles believed the proposed League of Nations would infringe upon U.S. sovereignty and Congress’s power to declare war. Following the Senate’s defeat of the treaty, Congress formally declared the end of World War I by joint resolution in 1921.

Concept note-2: -His strongest objection was to the requirement that all nations repel aggression, fearing that this would erode congressional powers and erode American sovereignty; those objections had a major role in producing the veto power of the United Nations Security Council. Lodge remained in the Senate until his death in 1924.

Concept note-3: -Henry Cabot Lodge (R-Massachusetts) objected to many details of the Treaty of Versailles, particularly the League of Nations. He believed that membership in the League of Nations would entangle the United States in foreign affairs and prevent the country from acting independently in such matters.

Concept note-4: -The Lodge resolution failed on a 39-55 vote. The Senate then considered a resolution to approve the treaty without reservations of any kind, which failed on a 38-53 vote. After 55 days of debate, the Senate had rejected the Treaty of Versailles.