President Wilson expected World War I to usher in an
era "safe for democracy." But his peacemaking efforts
illustrated the tensions in democratic foreign policymaking. Abroad, the
likes of Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Orlando pressed Wilson to support
a hard-line peace against Germany. At home, the likes of Henry
Cabot Lodge, Hiram
Johnson, and Asle
Gronna demanded a peace settlement more in line with their view of
traditional American ideals. The result: a peace treaty that compromised
Wilson's ideals and then failed to win approval from the Senate.
We'll be reading more of the Knock book today, plus the clearest
elucidation of Wilson's postwar vision, the 14 Points address, and a
sampling of the debate over the Versailles Treaty. |
Europe before the war
Europe after Versailles