Transcript US History Standard 5.5

UNITED STATES HISTORY
AND THE
CONSTITUTION
South Carolina
Standard USHC-5.5
Mr. Hoover, Abbeville High School
Questions to Answer
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Why did the United States reject internationalism?
What was postwar disillusionment?
How did the Senate’s refusal to ratify the Versailles
Treaty, and the election of 1920, change the role of
the United States in international affairs in the
1920s.
League of Nations
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According to the United States Constitution, foreign
policy is the domain of the executive branch but the
system of checks and balances requires that the
Senate ratify all treaties.
Despite President Wilson’s central role in the
drafting of the Versailles Treaty and his desire for
the United States to play a leading role in the
League of Nations, the Senate refused to ratify the
treaty.
Collective Security

Some members of the Senate were concerned that
the principle of collective security, which was the
central idea of the League, would require the
United States become involved in future military
action under the auspices of the League without the
consent of the Senate.
Compromise
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In part, the rejection of the treaty was the result of
political partisanship.
Republican leadership in the Senate opposed
ratification outright or had reservations about the
treaty.
Democrat Wilson refused to compromise with the
Republican Senate.
American People
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Instead Wilson took his case to the American people
on a cross country speaking tour, attempting to
secure the election of Democrats to the Senate in
the upcoming elections.
In the midst of this tour, Wilson suffered a stroke.
Both physically and mentally debilitated, Wilson
stubbornly refused to compromise.
The United States Senate never ratified the
Versailles Treaty. The United States later made a
separate peace with Germany.
International Idealism
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The election of 1920 became a referendum on the
League of Nations. The Democratic candidate (Cox)
supported Wilson’s international idealism while the
Republican candidate (Harding) advocated a return
to ‘normalcy’.
Rejected Internationalism
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The public had responded to Wilson’s idealistic call
to “make the world safe for democracy” but the
American people were disillusioned by the brutality
of the war, the cost in human life and the greed of
the post war Allies.
The Republicans won in a landslide; the American
people seemed to have rejected internationalism in
favor of isolationism.
World’s Financial Capital
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Although the United States had rejected collective
security, it had not rejected economic involvement
with the rest of the world.
As a result of the war, the United States became the
world’s leading economic power, the leading
exporter of goods, a major creditor nation and the
world’s financial capital.
Good Neighbor Policy
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America continued to be involved in Latin America
and attempted to improve relations there through
the Good Neighbor policy.
Watched From The Side Lines
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The United States never joined the League, but did
send observers to meetings of the League of
Nations and participated actively in several
international conferences to limit the size of the
world’s navies
Hands-off Approach
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United States also helped to make it possible for
the Germans to continue to pay the war reparations
through a loan program [Dawes and Young Plans].
The United States took a hands-off approach to
events in Europe as dictators rose to power in Italy
and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s.
Stock Market Crash
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After the crash of 1929 signaled the start of the
Great Depression, Americans were too concerned
with their domestic economic problems to take much
heed of the gathering storm in Europe.
Neutrality Acts
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In Congressional hearings early in the 1930s,
testimony about how the United States became
involved in the Great War led the Congress to pass
legislation to attempt to keep the United States out
of any future war.
World War II
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The resulting Neutrality Acts would tie the hands of
President Roosevelt and delay American
involvement in World War II