Friday, May 1, 2020

Ashley Rivard Essay Example For Students

Ashley Rivard Essay AP History Final PaperJanuary 16, 2004The ineptitude and stubbornness of President Wilson, not the strengthin the opposition forces, both liberal and conservative, resulted in theSenate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles. His stubborn behavior was shownpublicly on numerous occasions. His first mistake and stubborn behavior showed even before the treatywas drawn up. When he sailed to Paris for the creation of the treaty, hedid not bring one member from any other party than his own. This angeredthe Republicans and didnt help any matters of their accepting the FourteenPoints. Another example occurred after the Senates original rejection ofthe treaty; his speechmaking tour of 1919. It was meant to attempt to swaythe opinions of the American people to get their senators to vote for thetreaty. It was a good thought but not effective because of the Battalionof Death that followed him. All it did was confuse the American peopleand fire up the growing animosity of the republicans. He even said he waswilling to die for the sake of new world order, and he almost did when hehad a stroke related to physical and nervous exhaustion. After all thetouring and hullabaloo, he again was stubborn and refused to accept anyRepublican alterations of the treaty. Senator Lodge, whom Wilso n despised,suggested that they revise Article X of the Fourteen Points because of themoral bond that it required the United States to have on the occasion thatone of its allied countries was in need of war help. The congress wantedto keep the choice of declaring war for itself and not for others to tellit when to do so. They were also afraid that Britain would dominate theleague and end up dictating the United States and all other countries inthe league. These revisions were not extreme by any means, and Wilson wassimply stubborn and uncooperative with the suggestions made by theRepublicans, considering that he was willing to make reparations suggestedby Democrats. After all, it was the least that he could do, since heneglected to take any of them along to try to incorporate their ideas inthe treaty to begin with. After all opinions were voiced, there was aSenate vote for or against the treaty. Wilson was too weak to lead theDemocrats anymore, but he could still do his best to ruin the Republicancause. He asked all loyal Democrats to vote against the LodgeReservations, and they all sightlessly did so. The incompetence and obstinacy of President Wilson, not the vigor inthe opposition forces, both liberal and conservative, was the reason forthe Senate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles. His stubborn behavior wasshown publicly on numerous occasions. His immaturity about the entire issueof allowing others to add their input into the document was ridiculous. Asproven by all these points, it was truly President Wilsons inflexibilityand stubbornness that prevented the Treaty of Versailles from being passed.

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