The Wonderful World of U.S. Foreign Policy Between 1914 & 1925

From Germany to Mexico, the United States was involved in conflicts across the globe between 1914 and 1925. The most obvious of these was the Great War. The U.S. entered the war in 1917, although the war itself had started in 1914. The U.S. declared a proclamation of neutrality that same year. Neutrality was difficult due to the British naval blockade, preventing trade with the Axis powers. It was the consistent destruction of unarmed ships by German submarines that pulled the U.S. into the war.

Meanwhile, the U.S. was intervening in Mexican affairs. The U.S. refused to recognize the dictatorial regime of Victoriano Huerta. President Wilson's military intervention forced Huerta out of power, but this was only followed by a Mexican civil war between General Pancho Villa and Venustiano Carranza. The U.S. sent military equipment to the so-called "less radical" Carranza. Villa was defeated and raided Columbus, New Mexico, as revenge against the U.S. Villa and his men retreated into Mexico and Wilson sent troops in after him. The Mexican government accused Wilson of instigating a war. Wilson pulled out the troops to allow himself to pay more attention to matters in Europe.

After the war, in 1918, Wilson and his advisors went to the Paris Peace Conference to negotiate a treaty. It was here that he revealed his "Fourteen Points," an idealistic international policy that was intended to put the world in a state of perpetual peace and freedom. It was not accepted whole-heatedly; the plan achieved only limited acceptance. The Treaty of Versailles was drafted to finalize the war. It included a charter for the League of Nations. Not wanting membership in the League, the U.S. Senate refused the treaty and instead signed a separate treaty with Germany.

With peace at hand, the U.S. was set to slowly disarm the world, seeing the Great War as "the war to end all wars." The U.S. attended the Washington Conference on naval disarmament with Great Britain, Japan, France, and Italy. This began the disarmament process.

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Outside links

• RMHS
• Woodrow Wilson, Message to Congress
• Woodrow Wilson, Letter Concerning Lusitania
• Woodrow Wilson, on Neutrality
• Henry Cabot Lodge, Speech in the Senate
• Peace Treaty of Versailles
• President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

Copyright 1997 John Jeong

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