President Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles Essay -- American Histor

President Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles President Wilson’s righteous views of his efforts were so strong that not even the advice and urging of his closest confidants could sway his stance. While it is true that opposition forces helped to defeat the treaty, it was ultimately Wilson’s stubbornness that led to its defeat in the Senate. There were many factors that led to the initial outbreak of World War I in Europe. A constant struggle to gain the upper hand in the â€Å"balance of power† existed, and it resulted in the formation of many alliances between European nations. For the most part, these agreements stipulated that the nations would aid one another if one of them were to be attacked by an enemy. Eventually two distinct sides formed: the Allies and the Central Powers. The former consisted of Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, while the latter was made up of Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and what was left of the Ottoman Empire. Nationalism was an important factor in the outbreak of war as well. The French desperately wanted revenge against Germany, as well as the return of the Alsace-Lorraine region which Germany had seized from them. The Germans had their own nationalism at work, as their government took great pride in the industrial growth of the country, as well as the mounting power of their military. Conflict for power existed not only in Europe, but because of imperialism it spread across much of the Eastern Hemisphere. First and foremost, economic rivalries had developed between Britain, Germany, and France. The two Allied members of the group were very concerned about their Central opponent, as both wished to contain Germany’s territorial claims on the resource- and labor-rich continent of Africa. But what would ultimately lead to the outbreak of the first world war was Germany’s ever-increasing belief in militarism. The German military power had continued to grow as their industrial sector did the same; such power was seen as a symbol of national pride by the government. Other nations had built up their arms stockpiles as well, though they did not glorify it nearly as much as the Germans did. Nevertheless, the availability of arms, when combined with other political and economic factors, meant that a full-scale conflict was all but unavoidable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Billions upon billions of dollars worth of resources were poured... ...er that same vote, and finally Wilson’s plan of ratification without any reservations. All of the votes failed, with Wilson’s losing the worst by a 55-35 margin. The treaty with Lodge’s reservations was only defeated 50-41, so if Wilson had been the least bit flexible he may have been able to sway 20 or so senators to vote his way, which would at the very least set the stage for some sort of peace. Instead, Wilson’s self-righteousness buried his cause. Although his intentions were in the best interests of the world’s nations, Wilson’s method of getting the Versailles Treaty ratified ultimately led to its failure of passage by his own country. Not consulting the Senate during treaty negotiations was a terrible first step, but the president’s subsequent hard-line stance and unwillingness to concede anything left no chance for the doctrine to be passed. President Wilson is solely to blame for the Versailles Treaty’s failure. How prophetic he was in September of 1919, when in a pro-treaty speech he said, â€Å"I am obliged to come to you in mortification and shame and say I have not been able to fulfill the promise. You are betrayed. You have fought for something that you did not get.†