Document A (For the opposition argument):

This document is saying that the League of Nations is undesirable to the American people because not only would it be a tribunal of non-American peoples, but that they wouldnt have elected them in the first place and this tribunal would have its own army to enforce its decrees and effectively police the world.This is in itself against what Woodrow Wilson or anyone else wants, more fighting and war.

Document B (For the opposition argument):

This document is against the Treaty of Versailles as it has been revised too much and does not satisfy to aspiration of releasing the world from class-bondage and exclusive ambitions.The Liberals were hoping for peace but the treaty has given them only something that serves to intensify the dissent in Europe.

Document C (For the President argument):

In this document Woodrow Wilson is stating that if you do not ratify or support his proposition and Article X, which calls for a League of Nations, then you have made this War pointless as it will not achieve what it was suppose to, according to Wilson.The League of Nations to him was suppose to be the remedy for future wars.

Document D (For the President argument):

In this Herbert Hoover expresses his want to see the treaty ratified as quickly as possible to see the League of Nations created as soon as possible to try and fix the mess up sooner.By doing this quick and showing it in work, it will gain public support but as words it will not.

Document E (For the opposition argument):

This picture shows that the Senate is completely messing up and ruining the reconstruction of Europe by not allowing the U.S. to become more involved with them to do greater help.

Document F (For the opposition argument):

In this document the author puts the blame on the French for destroying Wilsons Fourteen points saying that they had other interest and better things to do.They also say that what the European powers did when making Germany take all the blame was detestable and abhorrent even if it were to better other peoples.

Document G (For the President argument):

In this document Woodrow is making an appeal to the U.S. to ratify the treaty as it would be doing what the Founding Fathers would have wanted, meaning that we would become a model country which others would look to.It would also fulfill our role in helping other countries and help clean up after a mess we were involved in.If you oppose this then you would not want the U.S. to be a beacon of hope to the rest of the world.

Document H (Unsure):

In this document is bashing isolationists and the conflict between Woodrow and the Senate and also states that despite these inane happenings and the fact that it cannot dictate what the world does that the U.S. should still participate in world affairs as it is apart of them and it cannot escape that fact.

DocumentI (Unsure):

Here Jane Addams says that while people argued about how the League of Nations should be constructed and what rules should govern it they all agree that there is a need for some type of organization to be put in place to handle international affairs.

Insanus Steliga Ferox (Dan S.) wrote:

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Thesis 

     The strength of the opposition was the key factor leading to the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles in the Senate because the republican controlled senate had been alienated by the President, the opposition wanted to amend it, and the public sentiment that the U.S. should stay out of European affairs.

Outside Information

Fourteen Points

U.S. Business and laissez faire

States rights Democrats

Henry Cabot Lodge

Entanglement

Isolationist

German and Italian immigrants

IrreconcilableSenators Borah & Johnson

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Document A

William Borah in his speech to the Senate on 12.6.1918 is opposing the League of Nations on the grounds of the tribunal to settle matters between countries in the league.  He does not believe that our affairs should be subject to other countries eyes or approval/disapproval.  He is also saying that this is where the difficulty with the Fourteen Points is.

Document B

The New Republic wrote on 5.24.1919 that the war was fought for nothing the people hoped for, because we are still in a mostly imperialist world ruled by classes in everyday life.

Document C

Woodrow Wilson said in his speech in 9.5.1919 that the articles and the Covenant of the League of Nations are vital in his part to ending the war and starting peace.  He is saying that he is not able to get these goals accomplished so they fought the war against wars, or so they thought, and now they are not able to achieve those lofty aims.

Document D

Herbert Hoover said to Woodrow Wilson on 10.19.1919 that he liked the League and thought that they should be ratifying it right away, and that not doing so was detrimental to the formation of the league and the rebuilding of Europe.

Document E

This is a political cartoon depicting a marriage during peace proceedings between foreign entanglements and Uncle Sam, or so it appears.  Then as the minister asks for objections the U.S. Senate bursts in with their constitutional rights in hand.

Document F

John Maynard Keynes in Economic Consequences of the Peace in 1920 said that Frances delegate Clemenceau is showing that this was but a battle in the war against Europe and that they will not really stop fighting.  Also he abhors the thought of degrading Germany in such a way that was suggested and it should not be done under any circumstances.

Document G

Woodrow Wilson in his Appeal to the Country on 11.3.1920 said that this presidential election was based on his fourteen points and the League of Nations as the main points in the campaign.  He is saying that his opponents would quench the light that America is supposed to provide for the rest of the World.

Document H

W.E.B. Du Bois said about The League of Nations in Crisis in 3.1921 that 41 nations have already joined the league and it is a folly for the united states not to become a part of this worldly affair.

Document I

Jane Addams said in Peace and Bread in time of War in 1922 that women at The Womans Peace Party meeting in 1920 were divided on the subject but united in the fact that they believed there needed to be some sort of international organization.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/versailles.htm (the treaty and about it)

http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%27s_Fourteen_Points (14 points and about them)

http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=42911 (speech by Wilson to the Senate)

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2007/01/03/woodrow_wilson_at_150_fourteen/ (about Wilson himself)

Thesis

Breanne wrote:

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The opposition to the treaty was the main factor resulting in the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles because the President had completely bypassed the Senate when he came up with the idea, the Senate didn't want to get the country riled up in more problems with the European continent, and too many important people disagreed with Wilson's views on the League of Nations.

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Breanne wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Insanus Steliga Ferox (Dan S.) wrote:

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Thesis 

     The strength of the opposition was the key factor leading to the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles in the Senate because the republican controlled senate had been alienated by the President, the opposition wanted to amend it, and the public sentiment that the U.S. should stay out of European affairs.

Outside Information

Fourteen Points

U.S. Business and laissez faire

States rights Democrats

Henry Cabot Lodge

Entanglement

Isolationist

German and Italian immigrants

IrreconcilableSenators Borah & Johnson

Senate
pluralism
League of Nations
Big Four
Alliance system
Treaty of Versailles

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Herbert Hoover
W.E.B Dubois
Great powers
William E. Borah
German-Americans
Reservationists
Election of 1920
Warren Harding

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Kelby

Analysis of three documents for DBQ

This document, which is from a speech by William Borah to the U.S. Senate, expresses Borahs disagreement with the Treaty of Versailles.  He states that he does not agree with the proposition of the establishment of the League of Nations. He is against the idea of the development of a tribunal to settle matters between different nations.  He does not agree that a board of individuals from outside of the United States should determine what is best for the U.S.  He argues that only Americans should decide what is right for America.  He does not believe that this the treaty as it is written will establish world peace but that conflict will arise from it.

I would site this document as evidence of the opposition to the treaty by members of the Senate.

Document E

This is a political cartoon from the Tribune Media Services.  In the cartoon, the bride and groom signify the marriage of the U.S. and foreign nations coming together in peace proceedings.  The minister is reading from the book that is entitled League of Nations.  The minister is stating that if any man can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together let him now speak and while he is speaking a person who signifies the U.S. Senate comes crashing through the window holding a document labeled constitutional rights.  This cartoon signifies the Senates disagreement with the President and the U.S. involvement in the Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations.

I would site this document to show evidence of the Senate opposition to the Treaty of Versailles.

Document G

This document is an excerpt from Woodrow Wilsons 1920 Appeal to the Country.  It is an appeal to the American people to accept the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.  Wilson is asking the people if they want the Countrys honor to be vindicated and if they do then they must support Americas participation in the League of Nations and acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles.  He tells the people that America is seen as the light and leader of the world in regards to peoples rights and the rights of all free nations.  He is telling the people that the opponents of the League of Nations are trying to quench that light.

I would use this document to site Wilsons position in favor of the Treaty and his decision to appeal to the people rather than to consider recommended revisions of the Treaty by the Senate.

Outside Information

1. Wilsons 14-point plan.  Wilson organized a peace document, which was a 14-point plan that he thought would bring stability to Europe by overcoming the force of greed and imperialism.  He believed that his plan would bring peace to the world.

2. Article 10 of League covenant.  This was the key to security and pledged all members to respect and preserve against external aggression and territorial integrity of all members.  Senator Henry Cabot Lodge opposed Article 10 and wanted it modified.  Wilson refused to modify Article 10 to allow Congress the opportunity to decide whether the U.S. would support the League in time of crisis.

3. Treaty of Berlin 1921.  The Senate killed the League Treaty in 1920, Wilson never saw the Versailles Treaty ratified.  The U.S. signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921.

4. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.  Lodge was the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and the most powerful man in the Senate in 1918.  He and Woodrow Wilson did not care for each other so when Wilson went to Versailles for the peace talk he did not invite Lodge to go with him.  This created more conflict between the two and set the stage for Lodge to oppose the Treaty.

5. Paris Peace Conference.   The conference was held in 1919 in Versailles. Wilson attended this conference and here he presented his plan for new international relations based on his fourteen points.  He won some points at the conference but also had to make some concessions, which were punitive to Germany.

When Wilson returned from Europe and presented the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate, he was met with great opposition.  The leader of the opposition was Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. Other Republican senators who believed that the treaty was a threat to American democracy and independence joined him.  The Senate recommended some revisions to the treaty but Wilson disagreed.   Senate opposition forces against the treaty were strong but in the end, it was Wilsons unwillingness to compromise and his exclusion of key senators in the original negotiations that led to the Senate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.

anna =] wrote:

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Thesis Statement

The strong opposition of the Treaty of Versailles, which included the Senate's unwillingness to recognize America's place in the changing world and the senate's doubts about joining an organization run by others led to the treaty's initial defeat, rather than the stubborness of President Wilson.
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Ok I like your thesis statment but I feel like its missing something.  I would suggest making it a little bit broader to include more sources of information to support your arguement.

Anna Wrote:   The strong opposition of the Treaty of Versailles, which included the Senates unwillingness to recognize Americas place in the changing world and the senates doubts about joining an organization run by others led to the treatys initial defeat, rather than the stubbornness of President Wilson.

Anna I think that you are on the right track but dont you think that Wilsons refusal to compromise on some of the points contributed to the failure to ratify the Treaty?  I too believe that there was strong opposition by the Senate but I believe there may have been a possibility to ratify it if the President was open to compromise.

Kelby wrote:

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Thesis

When Wilson returned from Europe and presented the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate, he was met with great opposition.  The leader of the opposition was Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. Other Republican senators who believed that the treaty was a threat to American democracy and independence joined him.  The Senate recommended some revisions to the treaty but Wilson disagreed.   Senate opposition forces against the treaty were strong but in the end, it was Wilsons unwillingness to compromise and his exclusion of key senators in the original negotiations that led to the Senate defeat of the Treaty of Versailles.

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I think that the first few sentences of your thesis would be better off as part of your intro paragraph rather than being part of your thesis. The thesis yourself should probably start at "Senate opposition". Other than that it does have some good info in it.

Anonymous wrote:

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Thesis:

There was a large opposition to the proposed League of Nations, and the strength of this opposition made it difficult for the plan to pass. The most prominent argument was that the Senate, who controls all treaties and foreign policy, would lose all power to the League.

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