Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties:

U S I S O L A T I O N I S M R E T R E A T F R O M T H E A N G L E - A M E R I C A N G U A R A N T E E

Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties: 1919 – 1920 The Paris Peace Treaties were signed.

Then everyone returned ‘home’.

Just how far were the Allies prepared to act to enforce the terms? NOW THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION.

Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties: Here were some of the problems.  The world was at peace after four years of a horrid war

BUT

      Russia in the middle of a civil war China also in a civil war – and unrest Silesia = Germans and Poles tense!

Turks were fighting the Greeks The Balkans still were in unrest Germans angry and bitter PEACE WAS AN ILLUSION!

Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties: AS YOU ALREADY KNOW: France had a very harsh attitude with regard to the punishment of Germany. Why?

1) 2) France feared that a Germany recovered would be a Germany seeking to redress the losses from the Treaty of Versailles and consequently be a serious threat to France France had suffered enormously from the war being fought on her soil.

Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties: In this 1919 cartoon, France is avenged for its loss of the Franco Prussian War by the terms of the peace treaty.

Enforcement of the provisions of the treaties: Britain and USA did NOT support France’s demands and they knew that France was unwilling to change their minds on this issue.

SO WHAT TO DO?

ANGLO – AMERICAN GUARANTEE

To satisfy France, the U.K. and U.S. signed the Anglo- American Guarantee on June 28, 1919, which proposed that in the case of a repeat of the German invasion, both the United States and the United Kingdom would immediately come to France’s aid.

Unfortunately for France, the U.S. Senate did not ratify (confirm by signing) the document, and so both signers of the Guarantee withdrew their promises.

US ISOLATIONISM

George Washington ‘foreign entanglements’ counselled to avoid “Europe was too thickly planted with kingdoms to be long at peace” Thomas Paine Physically an ocean divided USA and Europe USA more pre-occupied with the western Hemisphere – the Americas.

See Monroe Doctrine

US ISOLATIONISM

USA’s failure to sign the Treaty of Versailles, its absence from the League of Nations and the withdrawal from any military guarantee for France meant that ensuring peace became far more difficult.

What is the message of the cartoon?

US ISOLATIONISM

Explain the impact of the USA’s isolationist policy.

US ISOLATIONISM

Why was there so much opposition in the USA Senate to the Treaty of Versailles?

1) The republicans had a majority in the senate and they were much less prepared to commit the USA to act as a world policeman! (Boy that’s changed!) 2) Opposition mainly focused on the terms of the League’s Covenant 3) Some US politicians were not happy about all of the Versailles Treaty’s terms. E.g. Japan getting Shantung in China

US ISOLATIONISM

4) Not happy about Article 10 of the League’s Covenant. It promised to defend each other’s borders and independence. USA worried that the League would rely too heavily on the USA to enforce the decisions.

5) Some senators were happy to join the League but to modify USA’s involvement – but Wilson insisted no modification to be considered.

US ISOLATIONISM

Henry Cabot Lodge spoke for many US politicians about membership of the League.

“I object in the strongest possible way to having the USA agree, directly or indirectly, to be controlled by an organization which may at any time be drawn in to deal with internal conflicts in other countries, no matter what those conflicts might be. It must be made perfectly clear that American soldiers can never be engaged in war or ordered anywhere except by the constitutional authorities of the USA”

Britain’s reluctance to defend the Paris peace settlement 1) 2) 3) Britain wanted to protect their empire and recover from their war debt. Not really interested in becoming involved in more military conflicts Britain’s financial and military strength was weakened after WWI. Preferred to make concessions to Germany. Military informed government they didn’t have the resources to get involved in conflict Public opinion strongly against getting involved again in a disastrous and worse (rightly so ) was than before

France’s stance

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) France felt very insecure.

Tried to secure a military alliance with either the USA or Britain after the First World War – didn’t believe the League of Nations strong enough to protect France France signed military agreements with Poland (1921) and Czechoslovakia (1924) – trying to encircle Germany France did not support disarmament The Ruhr Crisis! – Britain openly critical of France’s actions Spent huge amounts of money on a defense system along the German border called the “Maginot Line” Still not finished at the outbreak of WWII