{{for, Irreconcilables during the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, Irreconcilables (Philippines) Treaty of Versailles Failure to Compromise US Senate -- Train

The Irreconcilables were bitter opponents of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in 1919. Specifically, the term refers to about 12 to 18

United States Senators The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and p ...

, both Republicans and Democrats, who fought intensely to defeat the ratification of the treaty by the Senate in 1919. They succeeded, and the United States never ratified the Treaty of Versailles and never joined the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...

History

The Republican Party controlled the United States Senate after the election of 1918, but the Senators were divided into multiple positions on the Versailles question. It proved possible to build a majority coalition, but impossible to build a two thirds coalition that was needed to pass a treaty. One block of Democrats strongly supported the Versailles Treaty. A second group of Democrats supported the Treaty but followed

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

in opposing any amendments or reservations. The largest block, led by Senator

Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 November 9, 1924) was an American Republican politician, historian, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served in the United States Senate from 1893 to 1924 and is best known for his positions on foreign polic ...

, comprised a majority of the Republicans. They wanted a treaty with reservations, especially on Article 10, which involved the power of the League of Nations to make war without a vote by the United States Congress. The closest the Treaty came to passage, came in mid-November 1919, was when Lodge and his Republicans formed a coalition with the pro-Treaty Democrats, and were close to a two-thirds majority for a Treaty with reservations, but Wilson rejected this compromise and enough Democrats followed his lead to permanently end the chances for ratification.

Members

Those who have been identified as members of the faction include: *

George W. Norris George William Norris (July 11, 1861September 2, 1944) was an American politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He served five terms in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican, from 1903 until ...

of NebraskaBailey, (1945) p. 53.Stone (1963). *

William Borah William Edgar Borah (June 29, 1865 – January 19, 1940) was an outspoken Republican United States Senator, one of the best-known figures in Idaho's history. A progressive who served from 1907 until his death in 1940, Borah is often co ...

of Idaho *

Robert La Follette Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his ...

of Wisconsin *

Hiram Johnson Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917. Johnson achieved national prominence in the early 20th century. He was elected in 191 ...

of California * James A. Reed of Missouri * Thomas Gore of Oklahoma * David I. Walsh of Massachusetts *

Frank B. Brandegee Frank Bosworth Brandegee (July 8, 1864October 14, 1924) was a United States representative and senator from Connecticut. Early life Frank Brandegee was born in New London, Connecticut, on July 8, 1864. He was the son of Augustus Brandegee, ...

of Connecticut * Albert B. Fall of New Mexico * Philander C. Knox of Pennsylvania *

Lawrence Yates Sherman Lawrence Yates Sherman (November 8, 1858 – September 15, 1939) was a Republican politician from the State of Illinois. He served as United States Senator, the 28th Lieutenant Governor, and as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representa ...

of Illinois *

George H. Moses George Higgins Moses (February 9, 1869December 20, 1944) was a U.S. diplomat and political figure. He served as a United States senator from New Hampshire and was chosen as the Senate's President pro tempore. Biography George H. Moses was born ...

of New Hampshire * Asle J. Gronna of North Dakota *

Joseph I. France Joseph Irwin France (October 11, 1873January 26, 1939) was a Republican member of the United States Senate, representing the State of Maryland from 1917 to 1923. Early life France was born in Cameron, Missouri, the son of Hanna Fletcher (née ...

of Maryland * Bert M. Fernald of Maine *

Medill McCormick Joseph Medill McCormick (May 16, 1877 – February 25, 1925) was part of the McCormick family of businessmen and politicians in Chicago. After working for some time and becoming part owner of the '' Chicago Tribune,'' which his maternal grandfa ...

of Illinois *

Charles S. Thomas Charles Spalding Thomas (December 6, 1849June 24, 1934) was a United States senator from Colorado. Born in Darien, Georgia, he attended private schools in Georgia and Connecticut, and served briefly in the Confederate Army. Biography Thomas g ...

of Colorado *

Miles Poindexter Miles Poindexter (April 22, 1868September 21, 1946) was an American lawyer and politician. As a Republican and briefly a Progressive, he served one term as a United States representative from 1909 to 1911, and two terms as a United States senat ...

of Washington With the exception of Reed, Walsh, and Gore, all of the Irreconcilables were Republicans. McCormick's position can be traced to his Anglophobia and nationalistic attitudes, Sherman's to personal antipathy to President

and his domestic policies. Indeed, all of the Irreconcilables were bitter enemies of President Wilson, and he launched a nationwide speaking tour in the summer of 1919 to refute them. However, Wilson collapsed midway with a serious stroke that effectively ruined his leadership skills. According to Stone's 1970 book, the Irreconcilables in the Senate fell into three loosely defined factions. One group was composed of isolationists and nationalists who proclaimed that America must be the sole commander of its destiny, and that membership in any international organization that might have power over the United States was unacceptable. A second group, the "realists", rejected isolationism in favor of limited cooperation among nations with similar interests. They thought the League of Nations would be too strong. A third group, the "idealists", called for a League with far reaching authority. The three factions cooperated to help defeat the treaty. All of them denounced the League as a tool of Britain and its nefarious empire. Among the American public as a whole, the Irish Catholics and the

German Americans German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

were intensely opposed to the Treaty.Duff (1968)

History

Members

See also

Notes

Further reading