Chapter 30 Study Guide
Chapter #30 Identifications
George Creel- head of Committee on Public Information; job was to sell America on the war and sell the world on Wilsonian war aims; big user of propaganda; typified American war mobilization; oversold ideals of Wilson and led world to expect too much
Bernard Baruch- stock speculator appointed to head the War Industries Board
Henry Cabot Lodge- new chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; senator from Massachusetts; leader of group of Republicans against the League of Nations
James M. Cox- meeting in San Francisco, Democrats nominated Cox for Presidency in election of 1920; supporter of League of Nations; running mate was Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt, a young, handsome, vibrant New Yorker
Self-Determination- one of Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the right of people to assert their own national identity
Collective security- a security arrangement, regional or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to threats to, and breaches of, the peace
Normalcy- the public was tired of the Wilson administration, and the high and mighty Wilsonism; eager to lapse back into normalcy, they were willing to accept a second rate president—and they got a third rate one
Zimmerman Note- intercepted and published, infuriating Americans, especially Westerners; German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann had secretly proposed a German-Mexican alliance, tempting anti-Yankee Mexico with veiled promises of recovering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Fourteen Points- Wilson scaled a summit of inspiring oratory, when delivered Fourteen Points Address; Wilson’s vision inspired all the drooping Allies to make mightier efforts and demoralized the enemy governments by holding out alluring promises to their dissatisfied minorities
League of Nations- capstone point of Wilson’s fourteen points; number fourteen; an international organization that Wilson dreamed would provide a system of collective security; Wilson prayed that this new scheme would effectively guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity of all countries, whether large or small
Committee on Public Information- made to mobilize people’s minds for war; employed some 150,000 workers at home and overseas; proved that words were indeed weapons; sent out army of 5,000 “four minute men” who delivered countless speeches containing much “patriotic pep;” propaganda made in the form of posters, pamphlets, booklets, movies, and conductors that led audiences in songs
Espionage and Sedition Acts- reflected current fears about Germans and anti war Americans; pursued under these laws were anti-war socialists and members of the IWW; Eugene V. Debs was convicted under the Espionage act and sentenced ten years in federal penitentiary; Haywood also convicted; virtually any criticism of the government could be censored and punished
Industrial Workers of the World- IWW; did not support the war; known as the “wobblies;” engineered some of the most damaging industrial sabotage; wobblies were victims of some of the shabbiest working conditions in the country; when they protested many were beaten, arrested, or run out of town
War Industries Board- Wilson appointed stock speculator Bernard Baruch to head; never had more than feeble formal powers; disbanded within a few days after the armistice
Nineteenth Amendment- women heeded call of patriotism and opportunity by flooding into factories and fields, taking up jobs vacated by men who left the assembly line for the frontline; the National American Women Suffrage Association supported Wilson’s war; impressed by women’s work, Wilson endorsed women suffrage as “a vwomen suffrage as “a vitally necessary war measure;” 1917 New York voted for suffrage at the state level; Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Dakota followed; at Seneca Falls, Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, giving all American women the right to vote
Food Administration- as the larder of democracy, America had to feed itself and its allies; Quaker-humanitarian Herbert C. Hoover chosen to head, who was already a hero because he successfully led a massive charitable drive to feed the starving people of war-racked Belgium; deliberately rejected issuing ration cards, waged a whirlwind propaganda campaign through posters, billboards, newspapers, pulpits, and movies; to save food for export, Hoover proclaimed wheatless Wednesdays and meatless Tuesdays; country broke out in a rash of vegetable “victory gardens”
Irreconcilables- when Wilson went on the speechmaking tour to take his case to the country, two “irreconcilable” senators, William Borah of Idaho and Hiram Johnson of California, followed him and spoke in the same cities a few days later; hat-tossing crowds answered their attacks on Wilson, crying, “impeach him, impeach him!”
Treaty of Versailles- completed Treaty of Versailles handed to the Germans, who hoped they would be granted a peace based on the fourteen points, but only about four of the twenty-three original Wilsonian points and subsequent principles were fully honored; vengeance, not reconciliation, was the treaty’s dominant tone; was never approved
Chapter #30 Guided Reading Questions
War by Act of Germany
Know: "Peace without Victory," Unlimited Submarine Warfare, Arthur Zimmermann
1. What events led Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war?
Events that led Wilson to ask Congress to declare war are the Zimmermann note, German U-boats sinking four unarmed American merchant vessels, and the rousing news that a revolution in Russia had toppled the cruel regime of the tsars. America could fight foursquare for democracy on the side of the Allies without the black sheep of Russian despotism in the Allied fold.
Wilsonian Idealism Enthroned
Know: Jeannette Rankin
2. Name Wilson’s twin war aims. How did these set America apart from the other combatants?
Wilson’s goal was “to make the world safe for democracy.” America did not fight for the sake of riches or territorial conquest.
Wilson’s Fourteen Potent Points
Know: Fourteen Points
3. List several of Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Some of Wilson’s Fourteen Points included a proposal to abolish secret treaties, freedom of the seas, a removal of economic barriers among nations, reduction of armament burdens, an adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of both native peoples and colonizers, and the League of Nations.
Creel Manipulates Minds
Know: Committee on Public Information, George Creel, Four-minute Men, The Hun, Over There
4. How were Americans motivated to help in the war effort?
The Committee on Public Information was created. The Creel organization, employing some 150,000 workers at home and overseas, proved that words were indeed weapons. It sent out an army of 75,000 “four minute men” who delivered countless speeches containing much “patriotic pep.” Creel used many different types of propaganda including posters, pamphlets, booklets, hang-the-kaiser movies, and conductors leading audiences in songs.
Enforcing Loyalty and Stifling Dissent
Know: Liberty Cabbage, Espionage Act, Sedition Act, Eugene V. Debs, William D. Haywood
5. How was loyalty forced during WWI?
Hysterical hatred of the Germans and things Germanic swept the nation. It was unsafe to play German music including Wagner and Beethoven, books were removed from libraries, and German classes were canceled in schools. Virtually any criticism of the government could be censored and punished. Many politicians were sentenced to jail time due to the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act. If there was any suspension to a person being disloyal, they could be tried and punished. This forced true loyalty during WWI.
The Nation’s Factories Go to War
Know: Bernard Baruch, War Industries Board
6. Why was it difficult to mobilize industry for the war effort?
Wilson only belatedly backed some mild preparedness measures beginning in 1915, including the creation of the Council of National Defense to study problems of economic mobilization and endorsed the modest beefing-up of the army. For the mobilization of industry, sheer ignorance was the biggest roadblocks. No one knew precisely how much steel or explosive powder the country was capable of producing.
Workers in Wartime
Know: "Work or Fight," National War Labor Board, Wobblies
7. How did the war affect the labor movement?
The National War Labor Board exerted itself to head off labor disputes that might hamper the war effort. The AF of L supported the war, unlike the IWW, so they receive higher wages and better hours due to the war. However, wartime inflation threatened to eclipse wage gains. Some six thousand strikes, several stained with blood, broke out in the war years.
Suffering Until Suffrage
Know: NAWSA, 19th Amendment, Women’s Bureau
8. How did the war affect women?
The war helped women get into the job world because their husbands, moneymakers, were off fighting in the world. Companies/factories concluded that the women did the job just as well, if not better, and gave the opportunity for women to support themselves and their family. This eventually led to the 19th amendment to be passed, which gave women the right to vote.
Forging a War Economy
Know: Food Administration, Herbert Hoover, Meatless Tuesdays, Eighteenth Amendment, Heatless Mondays, Liberty Bonds
9. Did government become too intrusive in people’s lives during the war? Give examples to support your answer.
I don’t think the government became too intrusive in people’s lives during the war. The people just had to adjust to a few changes that fit the requirements for the country to keep working and growing as it should. The Food Administration and Fuel Administration made a few changes to help production. The Eighteenth Amendment helped citizens become more aware of how alcohol affects them. The government changes weren’t all that bad and it was good for the people to get involved in the war effort, so it could end as fast as possible.
Making Plowboys into Doughboys
10. Was the government’s effort to raise an army fair and effective?
The government’s effort to raise an army was fair and effective because men were drafted into the war, who were strong and well in the ages between 18 and 45. This left the women to help the country and led to them getting recognized as equals. The draft resulted in a big army that helped win the war.
Fighting in France--Belatedly
11. How were American troops used in Russia?
When Russia backed out of the war, hundreds of thousands Germans faced France in the war and were developing a dangerous superiority in manpower. The U.S., hoping to keep stores of munitions from falling into German hands when Bolshevik Russia quit fighting, contributed 5,000 troops to an Allied invasion of northern Russia at Archangel.
America Helps Hammer the Hun
Know: Marshal Foch, John J. Pershing, Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Alvin York
12. Describe the effect of the American troops on the fighting.
At first the Americans were not doing too well fighting against the Germans, but when another American army under General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, was assigned a front, they finally made progress. Pershing’s army undertook the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Battered Germans were ready to stagger out of the trenches and cry “Kamerad.” Their allies were deserting them, the British blockade was causing critical food shortages, and the sledgehammer blows of the Allies pummeled them relentlessly.
The Fourteen Points Disarm Germany
Know: Armistice
13. What role did America play in bringing Germany to surrender?
When America made the Kaiser flee to Holland, the Germans were demoralized and exhausted. The United States’ main contributions to the ultimate victory had been foodstuffs, munitions, credits, oil, and manpower. The Yanks fought two major battles at St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. It was the prospect of endless U.S. troop reserves, that eventually demoralized the Germans.
Wilson Steps Down from Olympus
Know: Henry Cabot Lodge
14. What political mistakes hurt Wilson in the months following the armistice?
Wilson hoped to strengthen his hand at the Paris peace table, which broke the truce by personally appealing for a Democratic victory in the congressional elections of November 1918. Having staked his reputation on the outcome, Wilson went to Paris as a diminished leader. Wilson’s decision to go in person to Paris to help make the peace infuriated Republicans. He snubbed the senate in assembling his peace delegation and neglected to include a single Republican senator in his official party.
The Idealist Battles the Imperialists in Paris
Know: Vittorio Orlando, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, League of Nations
15. How did Wilson’s desire for the League of Nations affect his bargaining at the peace conference?
Wilson’s ultimate goal was the League of Nations. He forced through compromise between naked imperialism and Wilsonian idealism. The victors would not take possession of the conquered territory outright, but would receive it as trustees of the League of Nations. Old World diplomats agreed to make the League Covenant, Wilson’s brainchild, an integral part of the final peace treaty.
Hammering Out the Treaty
Know: William Borah, Hiram Johnson, Irreconcilables
16. What compromises did Wilson make at the peace conference?
Wilson would have to beg the Allied adversaries in Paris for changes in the covenant that would safe guard the Monroe Doctrine and other American interests dear to the senators. French settled for a compromise after demanding Rhineland and Saar Valley, whereby the Saar basin would remain under the League of Nations for fifteen years and then a popular vote would determine its fate. In exchange for dropping its demands for Rhineland, France got the Security Treaty, in which both Britain and America pledged to come to its aid in the event of another German invasion. When Italy demanded Fiume, Wilson insisted that the seaport go to Yugoslavia and appealed over the heads of Italy’s leaders to the country’s masses. The maneuver fell flat. Japan had conceded the Pacific Islands under a League of Nations mandate, and Wilson reluctantly accepted a compromise whereby Japan kept Germany’s economic holdings in Shandong and pledged to return the peninsula to China at a later date.
The Peace Treaty That Bred a New War
Know: Treaty of Versailles
17. For what reasons did Wilson compromise his 14 Points?
Vengeance, not reconciliation, was the treat’s dominant tone. The Allied powers were torn apart by afflicting aims, many of them sanctioned by secret treaties. Wilson was forced to compromise away some of his less cherished fourteen points in order to salvage the more precious League of Nations.
The Domestic Parade of Prejudice
18. Why was the treaty criticized back in America?
The treaty was criticized back in America because it invoked the revered advice of Washington and Jefferson; they wanted no part of any “entangling alliance.” Hun-haters regarded the pact as not harsh enough and principle liberals argued the pact was too harsh. “Hyphenated Americans” were aroused because the peace settlement was not sufficiently favorable to their native lands. Irish Americans felt that with the additional votes of the five overseas British dominions, it gave Britain undue influence, and they feared that it could be used to force the U.S. to crush any rising for Irish independence.
Wilson’s Tour and Collapse (1919)
19. What was the purpose and result of Wilson’s trip around the country when he returned to America?
The purpose was to take his case to the country in a spectacular speechmaking tour. He would appeal over the heads of the Senate to the sovereign people. The result was Wilson collapse at Pueblo, Colorado and he did not meet with his cabinet for over seven months.
Defeat through Deadlock
20. Why was the treaty finally rejected?
Many senators found Article X alarming because it morally bound the United States to aid any member victimized by external aggression. A jealous Congress wanted to reserve for itself the constitution war-declaring power. The treaty was rejected the first time. And the second time around, the only way for it to be approved was if include Lodge’s reservation. The treaty was finally rejected by Wilson sending word to all loyal Democrats to vote down the treaty with the obnoxious reservations.
The "Solemn Referendum" of 1920
Know: Warren Harding, James M. Cox, Normalcy
21. What did the results of the 1920 election indicate?
Republican candidate Harding won the election of 1920 by a wide margin. This indicated a public desire for a change found vent in a resounding repudiation of "high and mighty" Wilsonian. People were tired of professional highbrowism, star-reaching idealism, bothersome do-goodism, moral overstrain, and constant self-sacrifice. Eager to lapse back into "normalcy" they were willing to accept a second rate president--and they got a third rate one.
The Betrayal of Great Expectations
22. How much should the U.S. be blamed for the failure of the Treaty of Versailles?
The US should be blamed for the failure of the Treaty of Versailles because the pact, tied in with the four other peace treaties through the League Covenant, was a top-heavy structure designed to rest on a four legged table. The fourth leg, the United States, was never put into place. The structure teetered for over a decade and then crashed in ruins. If it had not, it maybe would have helped prevent World War II.
Varying Viewpoints: Woodrow Wilson: Realist or Idealist?
Know: Realism, Idealism, Wilsonianism
23. To what extent was Wilson realistic when he called for a world of cooperation, equality and justice among nations?
I think Wilson was very realistic because all of his decisions were made based on the good the country by benefitting from the other countries as allies. It was just those who opposed Wilson because they believed that he was violating the Monroe Doctrine, who voted Wilson out of office.
George Creel- head of Committee on Public Information; job was to sell America on the war and sell the world on Wilsonian war aims; big user of propaganda; typified American war mobilization; oversold ideals of Wilson and led world to expect too much
Bernard Baruch- stock speculator appointed to head the War Industries Board
Henry Cabot Lodge- new chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; senator from Massachusetts; leader of group of Republicans against the League of Nations
James M. Cox- meeting in San Francisco, Democrats nominated Cox for Presidency in election of 1920; supporter of League of Nations; running mate was Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt, a young, handsome, vibrant New Yorker
Self-Determination- one of Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the right of people to assert their own national identity
Collective security- a security arrangement, regional or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to threats to, and breaches of, the peace
Normalcy- the public was tired of the Wilson administration, and the high and mighty Wilsonism; eager to lapse back into normalcy, they were willing to accept a second rate president—and they got a third rate one
Zimmerman Note- intercepted and published, infuriating Americans, especially Westerners; German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann had secretly proposed a German-Mexican alliance, tempting anti-Yankee Mexico with veiled promises of recovering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Fourteen Points- Wilson scaled a summit of inspiring oratory, when delivered Fourteen Points Address; Wilson’s vision inspired all the drooping Allies to make mightier efforts and demoralized the enemy governments by holding out alluring promises to their dissatisfied minorities
League of Nations- capstone point of Wilson’s fourteen points; number fourteen; an international organization that Wilson dreamed would provide a system of collective security; Wilson prayed that this new scheme would effectively guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity of all countries, whether large or small
Committee on Public Information- made to mobilize people’s minds for war; employed some 150,000 workers at home and overseas; proved that words were indeed weapons; sent out army of 5,000 “four minute men” who delivered countless speeches containing much “patriotic pep;” propaganda made in the form of posters, pamphlets, booklets, movies, and conductors that led audiences in songs
Espionage and Sedition Acts- reflected current fears about Germans and anti war Americans; pursued under these laws were anti-war socialists and members of the IWW; Eugene V. Debs was convicted under the Espionage act and sentenced ten years in federal penitentiary; Haywood also convicted; virtually any criticism of the government could be censored and punished
Industrial Workers of the World- IWW; did not support the war; known as the “wobblies;” engineered some of the most damaging industrial sabotage; wobblies were victims of some of the shabbiest working conditions in the country; when they protested many were beaten, arrested, or run out of town
War Industries Board- Wilson appointed stock speculator Bernard Baruch to head; never had more than feeble formal powers; disbanded within a few days after the armistice
Nineteenth Amendment- women heeded call of patriotism and opportunity by flooding into factories and fields, taking up jobs vacated by men who left the assembly line for the frontline; the National American Women Suffrage Association supported Wilson’s war; impressed by women’s work, Wilson endorsed women suffrage as “a vwomen suffrage as “a vitally necessary war measure;” 1917 New York voted for suffrage at the state level; Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Dakota followed; at Seneca Falls, Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, giving all American women the right to vote
Food Administration- as the larder of democracy, America had to feed itself and its allies; Quaker-humanitarian Herbert C. Hoover chosen to head, who was already a hero because he successfully led a massive charitable drive to feed the starving people of war-racked Belgium; deliberately rejected issuing ration cards, waged a whirlwind propaganda campaign through posters, billboards, newspapers, pulpits, and movies; to save food for export, Hoover proclaimed wheatless Wednesdays and meatless Tuesdays; country broke out in a rash of vegetable “victory gardens”
Irreconcilables- when Wilson went on the speechmaking tour to take his case to the country, two “irreconcilable” senators, William Borah of Idaho and Hiram Johnson of California, followed him and spoke in the same cities a few days later; hat-tossing crowds answered their attacks on Wilson, crying, “impeach him, impeach him!”
Treaty of Versailles- completed Treaty of Versailles handed to the Germans, who hoped they would be granted a peace based on the fourteen points, but only about four of the twenty-three original Wilsonian points and subsequent principles were fully honored; vengeance, not reconciliation, was the treaty’s dominant tone; was never approved
Chapter #30 Guided Reading Questions
War by Act of Germany
Know: "Peace without Victory," Unlimited Submarine Warfare, Arthur Zimmermann
1. What events led Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war?
Events that led Wilson to ask Congress to declare war are the Zimmermann note, German U-boats sinking four unarmed American merchant vessels, and the rousing news that a revolution in Russia had toppled the cruel regime of the tsars. America could fight foursquare for democracy on the side of the Allies without the black sheep of Russian despotism in the Allied fold.
Wilsonian Idealism Enthroned
Know: Jeannette Rankin
2. Name Wilson’s twin war aims. How did these set America apart from the other combatants?
Wilson’s goal was “to make the world safe for democracy.” America did not fight for the sake of riches or territorial conquest.
Wilson’s Fourteen Potent Points
Know: Fourteen Points
3. List several of Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Some of Wilson’s Fourteen Points included a proposal to abolish secret treaties, freedom of the seas, a removal of economic barriers among nations, reduction of armament burdens, an adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of both native peoples and colonizers, and the League of Nations.
Creel Manipulates Minds
Know: Committee on Public Information, George Creel, Four-minute Men, The Hun, Over There
4. How were Americans motivated to help in the war effort?
The Committee on Public Information was created. The Creel organization, employing some 150,000 workers at home and overseas, proved that words were indeed weapons. It sent out an army of 75,000 “four minute men” who delivered countless speeches containing much “patriotic pep.” Creel used many different types of propaganda including posters, pamphlets, booklets, hang-the-kaiser movies, and conductors leading audiences in songs.
Enforcing Loyalty and Stifling Dissent
Know: Liberty Cabbage, Espionage Act, Sedition Act, Eugene V. Debs, William D. Haywood
5. How was loyalty forced during WWI?
Hysterical hatred of the Germans and things Germanic swept the nation. It was unsafe to play German music including Wagner and Beethoven, books were removed from libraries, and German classes were canceled in schools. Virtually any criticism of the government could be censored and punished. Many politicians were sentenced to jail time due to the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act. If there was any suspension to a person being disloyal, they could be tried and punished. This forced true loyalty during WWI.
The Nation’s Factories Go to War
Know: Bernard Baruch, War Industries Board
6. Why was it difficult to mobilize industry for the war effort?
Wilson only belatedly backed some mild preparedness measures beginning in 1915, including the creation of the Council of National Defense to study problems of economic mobilization and endorsed the modest beefing-up of the army. For the mobilization of industry, sheer ignorance was the biggest roadblocks. No one knew precisely how much steel or explosive powder the country was capable of producing.
Workers in Wartime
Know: "Work or Fight," National War Labor Board, Wobblies
7. How did the war affect the labor movement?
The National War Labor Board exerted itself to head off labor disputes that might hamper the war effort. The AF of L supported the war, unlike the IWW, so they receive higher wages and better hours due to the war. However, wartime inflation threatened to eclipse wage gains. Some six thousand strikes, several stained with blood, broke out in the war years.
Suffering Until Suffrage
Know: NAWSA, 19th Amendment, Women’s Bureau
8. How did the war affect women?
The war helped women get into the job world because their husbands, moneymakers, were off fighting in the world. Companies/factories concluded that the women did the job just as well, if not better, and gave the opportunity for women to support themselves and their family. This eventually led to the 19th amendment to be passed, which gave women the right to vote.
Forging a War Economy
Know: Food Administration, Herbert Hoover, Meatless Tuesdays, Eighteenth Amendment, Heatless Mondays, Liberty Bonds
9. Did government become too intrusive in people’s lives during the war? Give examples to support your answer.
I don’t think the government became too intrusive in people’s lives during the war. The people just had to adjust to a few changes that fit the requirements for the country to keep working and growing as it should. The Food Administration and Fuel Administration made a few changes to help production. The Eighteenth Amendment helped citizens become more aware of how alcohol affects them. The government changes weren’t all that bad and it was good for the people to get involved in the war effort, so it could end as fast as possible.
Making Plowboys into Doughboys
10. Was the government’s effort to raise an army fair and effective?
The government’s effort to raise an army was fair and effective because men were drafted into the war, who were strong and well in the ages between 18 and 45. This left the women to help the country and led to them getting recognized as equals. The draft resulted in a big army that helped win the war.
Fighting in France--Belatedly
11. How were American troops used in Russia?
When Russia backed out of the war, hundreds of thousands Germans faced France in the war and were developing a dangerous superiority in manpower. The U.S., hoping to keep stores of munitions from falling into German hands when Bolshevik Russia quit fighting, contributed 5,000 troops to an Allied invasion of northern Russia at Archangel.
America Helps Hammer the Hun
Know: Marshal Foch, John J. Pershing, Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Alvin York
12. Describe the effect of the American troops on the fighting.
At first the Americans were not doing too well fighting against the Germans, but when another American army under General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, was assigned a front, they finally made progress. Pershing’s army undertook the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Battered Germans were ready to stagger out of the trenches and cry “Kamerad.” Their allies were deserting them, the British blockade was causing critical food shortages, and the sledgehammer blows of the Allies pummeled them relentlessly.
The Fourteen Points Disarm Germany
Know: Armistice
13. What role did America play in bringing Germany to surrender?
When America made the Kaiser flee to Holland, the Germans were demoralized and exhausted. The United States’ main contributions to the ultimate victory had been foodstuffs, munitions, credits, oil, and manpower. The Yanks fought two major battles at St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. It was the prospect of endless U.S. troop reserves, that eventually demoralized the Germans.
Wilson Steps Down from Olympus
Know: Henry Cabot Lodge
14. What political mistakes hurt Wilson in the months following the armistice?
Wilson hoped to strengthen his hand at the Paris peace table, which broke the truce by personally appealing for a Democratic victory in the congressional elections of November 1918. Having staked his reputation on the outcome, Wilson went to Paris as a diminished leader. Wilson’s decision to go in person to Paris to help make the peace infuriated Republicans. He snubbed the senate in assembling his peace delegation and neglected to include a single Republican senator in his official party.
The Idealist Battles the Imperialists in Paris
Know: Vittorio Orlando, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, League of Nations
15. How did Wilson’s desire for the League of Nations affect his bargaining at the peace conference?
Wilson’s ultimate goal was the League of Nations. He forced through compromise between naked imperialism and Wilsonian idealism. The victors would not take possession of the conquered territory outright, but would receive it as trustees of the League of Nations. Old World diplomats agreed to make the League Covenant, Wilson’s brainchild, an integral part of the final peace treaty.
Hammering Out the Treaty
Know: William Borah, Hiram Johnson, Irreconcilables
16. What compromises did Wilson make at the peace conference?
Wilson would have to beg the Allied adversaries in Paris for changes in the covenant that would safe guard the Monroe Doctrine and other American interests dear to the senators. French settled for a compromise after demanding Rhineland and Saar Valley, whereby the Saar basin would remain under the League of Nations for fifteen years and then a popular vote would determine its fate. In exchange for dropping its demands for Rhineland, France got the Security Treaty, in which both Britain and America pledged to come to its aid in the event of another German invasion. When Italy demanded Fiume, Wilson insisted that the seaport go to Yugoslavia and appealed over the heads of Italy’s leaders to the country’s masses. The maneuver fell flat. Japan had conceded the Pacific Islands under a League of Nations mandate, and Wilson reluctantly accepted a compromise whereby Japan kept Germany’s economic holdings in Shandong and pledged to return the peninsula to China at a later date.
The Peace Treaty That Bred a New War
Know: Treaty of Versailles
17. For what reasons did Wilson compromise his 14 Points?
Vengeance, not reconciliation, was the treat’s dominant tone. The Allied powers were torn apart by afflicting aims, many of them sanctioned by secret treaties. Wilson was forced to compromise away some of his less cherished fourteen points in order to salvage the more precious League of Nations.
The Domestic Parade of Prejudice
18. Why was the treaty criticized back in America?
The treaty was criticized back in America because it invoked the revered advice of Washington and Jefferson; they wanted no part of any “entangling alliance.” Hun-haters regarded the pact as not harsh enough and principle liberals argued the pact was too harsh. “Hyphenated Americans” were aroused because the peace settlement was not sufficiently favorable to their native lands. Irish Americans felt that with the additional votes of the five overseas British dominions, it gave Britain undue influence, and they feared that it could be used to force the U.S. to crush any rising for Irish independence.
Wilson’s Tour and Collapse (1919)
19. What was the purpose and result of Wilson’s trip around the country when he returned to America?
The purpose was to take his case to the country in a spectacular speechmaking tour. He would appeal over the heads of the Senate to the sovereign people. The result was Wilson collapse at Pueblo, Colorado and he did not meet with his cabinet for over seven months.
Defeat through Deadlock
20. Why was the treaty finally rejected?
Many senators found Article X alarming because it morally bound the United States to aid any member victimized by external aggression. A jealous Congress wanted to reserve for itself the constitution war-declaring power. The treaty was rejected the first time. And the second time around, the only way for it to be approved was if include Lodge’s reservation. The treaty was finally rejected by Wilson sending word to all loyal Democrats to vote down the treaty with the obnoxious reservations.
The "Solemn Referendum" of 1920
Know: Warren Harding, James M. Cox, Normalcy
21. What did the results of the 1920 election indicate?
Republican candidate Harding won the election of 1920 by a wide margin. This indicated a public desire for a change found vent in a resounding repudiation of "high and mighty" Wilsonian. People were tired of professional highbrowism, star-reaching idealism, bothersome do-goodism, moral overstrain, and constant self-sacrifice. Eager to lapse back into "normalcy" they were willing to accept a second rate president--and they got a third rate one.
The Betrayal of Great Expectations
22. How much should the U.S. be blamed for the failure of the Treaty of Versailles?
The US should be blamed for the failure of the Treaty of Versailles because the pact, tied in with the four other peace treaties through the League Covenant, was a top-heavy structure designed to rest on a four legged table. The fourth leg, the United States, was never put into place. The structure teetered for over a decade and then crashed in ruins. If it had not, it maybe would have helped prevent World War II.
Varying Viewpoints: Woodrow Wilson: Realist or Idealist?
Know: Realism, Idealism, Wilsonianism
23. To what extent was Wilson realistic when he called for a world of cooperation, equality and justice among nations?
I think Wilson was very realistic because all of his decisions were made based on the good the country by benefitting from the other countries as allies. It was just those who opposed Wilson because they believed that he was violating the Monroe Doctrine, who voted Wilson out of office.