League of Nations
America’s rejection of the League of Nations was a diplomatic blunder. The selfish decision was made primarily because of political jealousy and future party interests/ambitions, rather than in the best interests of the country and the world. The rejection was a poor decision for many reasons. First of all, both the pro-leaguers and the anti-leaguers wanted many of the same things, but because of political differences, neither side was able to realize this fact. Also, many of the proposed reforms for the league were unnecessary, and therefore, the huge fuss and eventual rejection was, too, unnecessary. By the end of war, the US “had emerged as the moral arbiter of the world and the hope of all peoples for a better tomorrow,” (Oates 143) and what would the League to end all wars be without its arbiter and hope? The US was primarily responsible for the creation of the League, so it only made sense for them to be a part of it. Finally, the rejection of the League of Nations directly contradicted the principle reason for entering into the war – world peace. Had both the Democrats and Republicans not been so stubborn, the US may have become part of the original League of Nations, and may not have made the mistake of rejection. . . .
f the desired, proposed and disputed reforms for the league were either unnecessary or shared by both sides. (Norton 434) The contradiction comes from the fact that many of these people, the people that represent America, turned their backs on the objectives and reasons for entering into the war when faced with the vote for the League of Nations. More interesting to think about is whether or not the world would have faced WW2. This blunder occurred as what appears to be a direct result of selfish ambition and pride within the two major competing political parties of the United States – the Democrats and the Republicans. The country’s entrance into WW1 had already violated it conditions, but this act was not looked down upon as the entrance into the League of Nations was. Also, it was “at Wilson’s insistence” (timeline 5) that a League of Nations be discussed and created. The contradiction America made also helped to bring down foreign opinion, and respect. If America had joined the League of Nations, the world may never have seen the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. The theme of Wilson’s wartime speech dictates this previous statement, directly stating that they shall fight “by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself last free. Also interesting to note is the fact that the reservations made by Democrats Wilson and Hitchcock after the initial rejection “differed only in slight degree from those of Senator Lodge. America made a huge diplomatic blunder when they rejected the League of Nations, thus alienating themselves from international discussions, and decisions. For example, Republican Senator Lodge wanted an assurance that the integrity of the Monroe Doctrine would be kept, but since the Monroe Doctrine was made law nearly 100 years prior, it was already protected by the constitution, and therefore needed no other guarantee. ” (Norton, 446) The US was gaining an impressive reputation throughout the world, and by rejecting the League of Nations; they threw away a chance for this reputation to increase further, bringing about betterment of American society. If the world never experienced WW2, America, England, Russia, and many other nations may never have faced the cold war, and JFK may never have been assassinated. Had they been able to compromise, America probably would have become part of the League of Nations, and future world peace groups such as the United Nations may not exist today.
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Acceptance Essays
