Curriculum
Photo caption
President Woodrow Wilson, 1913.
"Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. ... America is the only idealist nation in the world."
See AlsoIntroduction to the Holocaust: What was the Holocaust?TuneCore | Guides & Artist Advice from industry experts!Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Definition, Summary & Significance | HISTORYAnchor Charts 101: Why and How To Use Them—President Woodrow Wilson
American foreign policy continues to resonate with the issues surrounding the debate over U.S. entry into the League of Nations-collective security versus national sovereignty, idealism versus pragmatism, the responsibilities of powerful nations, the use of force to accomplish idealistic goals, the idea of America. Understanding the debate over the League and the consequences of its ultimate failure provides insight into international affairs in the years since the end of the Great War and beyond.
In this lesson, students read the words and listen to the voices of some central participants in the debate over the League of Nations.
Note: This lesson may be taught either as a stand-alone lesson or as a sequel to the complementary EDSITEment lesson U.S. Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology.
Guiding Questions
What was Woodrow Wilson's role in and vision for peace and the League of Nations after World War I?
What were the central issues in the debate in the United Statesover the League of Nations?
How did the formation of the League of Nations affect international relations?
Learning Objectives
Describe Wilson's concepts for peace and the League of Nations and efforts to foster American support for it.
Discuss the opposition to the League in the Senate.
Evaluate the significance of the League of Nations during the interwar period.
Curriculum Details
Preparation Instructions
- Review the curriculum unit. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and other useful websites. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing. Download the Master PDF. Print out and make an appropriate number of copies of any handouts you plan to use in class.
- Before printing any oversized documents, use the Print Preview function of your browser to see how each will look. Change the settings in Page Setup, as desired, by selecting Print Preview from the FILE option in your browser. Use the Print Preview function after making changes.
- This unit is intended for students familiar with the basic facts about World War I and its aftermath.
- For background on the League of Nations, read Chapter Nine: The League of Nations (from “An Outline of American History,” USIA, 1994) on From Revolution to Reconstruction, a link from the EDSITEment resource American Studies at the University of Virginia.
- If desired, read as well the brief essay Wilson—A Portrait: The League of Nations, also available on the PBS website Woodrow Wilson.
Lesson Plans in Curriculum
Related on EDSITEment
Curriculum
United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology
Curriculum
The Diplomacy Challenge
Curriculum
American Diplomacy in World War II
Teacher's Guide
