McNish1 Megan McNish AP US History II Mr.

Ryan 7 February 2011 A New Era: The 1920s Essay: # 5 Post World War I and Wilson presidency the United States became disillusioned with the war and with Europe in general. Many Americans wanted to focus on problems at home, but leaders in Congress and President Warren G. Harding were concerned with the affairs of Europe. Disarmament and the economic strife of a postwar economy in Europe gained the sympathy of many American politicians. Despite public disillusionment, during the 1920s the United States helped promote world peace. By 1918 or 1919 many Americans had become tired of Europes war. Americans felt that the war was not worth their time anymore. When the war finally ended, and Woodrow Wilson suggested the League of Nations, many Americans felt that the League would only involve them in more of Europes problems. Still Congress wanted to encourage would peace, and they decided to do so. In 1921 the Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes invited representatives from Belgium, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherland, and Portugal to discuss naval disarmament. The nations with the five largest navies, the US, Great Britain, Japan, France, and Italy, agreed on a ratio of 5:5:3:1.67:1.67 of naval size. Great Britain and the US also agreed not to fortify their positions in the Pacific. The US, France, Great Britain, and Japan agreed to respect one anothers territory in the Pacific. All the nations agreed to respect the Open Door policy in China. All of these agreements were respected and helped keep world peace.

McNish2 The Kellogg-Briand Pact was another effort to retain world peace. This act was an attempt to outlaw future wars, but was largely ineffective. Still, the agreement happened and it showed a desire to continue world peace. The agreement was arranged by the US Secretary of State Frank Kellogg and the French foreign minister Aristude Briand. Almost all the nations of the world signed the treaty, which specifically renounced the use of aggressive force. It still allowed the use of defensive force and failed to provide for taking action against violators of the agreement. This agreement, although it failed, was still showed an effort to retain world peace. Although many believe that the United States went into total isolation after World War I, they are completely incorrect. The United States was very interested in world affairs at the time, especially in world peace. This can be seen through both the Washington Conference and the Kellogg-Briand Pact. These attempts at the world peace and disarmament show how interested Congress was in keeping peace alive. All in all America was very interested in keeping world peace after World War I. The Washington Conference and the Kellogg-Briand Pact helped keep world peace, all on American soil. Although Americans were tired of European problems, they also wanted to keep world peace, and stay out of war as long as possible. America may not have been extremely involved in world affairs, but it was doing its best to aid foreign affairs and promote world peace.