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An examination of the skillful political maneuvering of William
Borah and Hiram Johnson, two of the post-war leaders of Republican
progressivism, this study analyzes efforts to prevent U.S. entry
into the League of Nations despite overwhelming support for the
organization among both Democrats and Republicans. Following the
debacle of the 1912 election, the leadership of the Republican
Party embarked on a strategy of reconciliation designed to end the
acrimony between progressive and conservative factions so that it
could unite against the Democratic Party. A small group of
progressive Republicans quickly realized that they could threaten
to resume infighting and could, thus, influence policy making on
important foreign policy issues. This political environment enabled
William Borah and Hiram Johnson to have an extraordinary influence
over the Republican Party's position concerning the League of
Nations, an organization which they regarded as an agency for the
perpetuation of European empires and, therefore, a threat to
American democracy. Borah and Johnson effectively intimidated their
party leadership and blocked the American participation in the
League. Once this pattern was established, it would continue to
influence Republican Party actions, in particular the construction
of the Republican Party platform in 1920, the U.S. position
regarding the Washington Conference on Naval Disarmament, and the
issue of U.S. membership in the World Court.
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