The United States failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations because the Senate saw no reason to be bound by the treaty’s provisions, which would have limited its ability to act independently. The Senate also objected to the League of Nations because it would have required the United States to submit to the authority of an international organization.
The United States had isolationist tendencies at the time, and these were reflected in the Senate’s actions. The Senate’s refusal to ratify the treaty was also a reflection of how powerful the isolationist lobby was in the United States.
The United States’ failure to ratify the treaty and join the League of Nations meant that it was not a party to the treaty’s provisions, including the Treaty of Trianon. The United States’ failure to ratify the treaty and join the League of Nations also meant that it was not a member of the League of Nations.
The United States’ failure to ratify the treaty and join the League of Nations had far-reaching consequences: one immediate consequence was that it did not participate in negotiations that led up to signing; another long-term consequence was that it did not have a role in activities such as preventing another world war or protecting its own interests.
