Opposes The League of Nations (Original Recording‪)‬

In 1919, the Republican senator Henry Cabot Lodge gave a speech opposing The Treaty of Versailles and the US joining the League of Nations without reservations. The failure of the Treaty, opposed by Lodge mainly because it would mean the US would be obligated to go to war without the approval of congress if the League saw fit, and his victory over President Woodrow Wilson, is considered by many to be the highlight of Lodge’s political career. Early 20th political critique, US political history, and oratory that is equal parts informative, patriotic, and poetic are all blended deftly in this stirring address.