American Reaction
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 1.2.7
USA
Many American people felt that the Treaty was a bit harsh on the Germans.
American attitude
- Many American people felt that the Treaty was a bit harsh on the Germans.
- Most Americans didn’t want to cripple Germany, they wanted them to recover and be capable of making themselves a strong country again (through self-determination) and able to recover economically from the war.
Isolationism
- Many Americans felt that the issues in Europe were issues that Europeans should sort out themselves and that they should not involve America.
- America wanted to stay away from these affairs in the future
- This policy was called isolationism.
The American government
- The American government felt that Wilson hadn’t secured America’s interest in the Treaty.
- They felt it was too harsh on the Germans.
- The primary reason the Senate rejected the treaty is that they did not want to join the League of Nations.
- The Senate wanted to stay out of European affairs.
- This caused them to refuse to join the League of Nations.
Reaction of politicians
- Many U.S. politicians, especially in the Senate, opposed the Treaty of Versailles.
- They disliked the League of Nations, fearing it could drag the U.S. into future wars.
- Some wanted harsher punishment for Germany.
- Others wanted a more isolationist approach.
- The Treaty was never ratified by the U.S., showing strong political disagreement at home.
Test yourself on American Reaction
Why did many Americans and U.S. politicians oppose the Treaty of Versailles?