WWI and the League of Nations
World War I was perhaps the most horrific war that mankind had ever seen. In a period of 4 years (1914-1918), approximately six million people lost their lives on the battlefront. Some people thought that it would be “the war to end all wars,” for after witnessing such an atrocious event, human beings would never let another war take place. Unfortunately, twentieth century history has proven these idealists to be wrong, for we all know that WWI was not the last war of the century. Nevertheless, at the end of the war, the American President, Woodrow Wilson, brought up the idea of a League of Nations, in which countries would settle disputes in a peaceful manner, rather than by waging wars. Every country that was deemed worthy of becoming a member would have equal rights and representation, and would contribute towards a better, more peaceful world.
Even though the Armistice of WWI was signed on November 11, 1918, the peace settlements were not finalized until 1919. The most important of these peace settlements was the Treaty of Versailles. There, the victorious Allies which had fought against Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, drew up the plans for the League of Nations. Surprisingly, even though it was an American President who had been the first to suggest the creation of the League, the USA was one of the few countries out of the victorious Allies which chose not to become a member. After the war, the USA plunged into Isolationism - a policy by which a country does not get involved in international affairs unless they directly affect the national security and, in the case of American Isolationism, the economy of the country. In addition, the American people did not favour the idea of having to fight a war, if need be, in order to preserve world peace. Finally, some Americans felt that Britain would have a disproportionate influence in this international organization since some of its former colonies including Canada and Australia would be given membership - and consequently have equal representation - and they would be likely to follow British policies. Consequently, the American Congress did not approve the membership of the USA in the League of Nations.
All bold words are defined in the Glossary. Click here to go to the Glossary
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