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The Road to War
PRiMARY SOURCE READING
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The Keliogg-Briand Pact was initiated by French
foreign minister Aristide Briand. In a speech to the
American people, Briand presentcd his idea for a
treaty between France and the United States that
would renounce war as a government policy. U.S.
Secretary of State Prank Kellogg was angry thor this
speech was made without prior talks between himself
and Briand. Howeve, he scored a key aipionlatic
point by insisting that the treaty be expanded to
include not only France and the United States, but
also Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Poland,
and Czechoslovakia, The treaty was signed on August
27, 1928, with great celebration, but diplomats did
not take the treaty seriously. In fact, the very next
item on the Senate agenda was a bill that approved
$274 million for new warships. Furthermore, within
14 years, all the nations that signed the Kellogg
Briand Pact entered into World War II.
ARTICLE I
The High Contracting Parties solemnly declare
in the names of their respected peoples that
they condemn recourse to war for the solution
of international controversies, and renounce it
as an instrument of national policy in their
relations with one another.
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The President of the German Reich, the
President of the United States of America, his
Majesty the King of the Belgians, the President
of the French Republic, His Majesty the King of
Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions
beyond the seas, Emperor of India, his Majesty
the King of Italy, his Majesty the Emperor of
Japan, the President of the Republic of Poland,
the President of the Czechoslovak Republic,
Deeply sensible of their solemn duty to
promote the welfare of mankind;
Persuaded that the time has come when a
frank renunciation of war as an instrument of
national policy should be made to the end that
the peacefril and friendly relations now existing
between their peoples may be perpetuated;
Convinced that all changes in their rela
tions with one another should be sought only
by pacific means and be the result of a peaceful
and orderv process, and that any signatory
Power which shall hereafter seek to promote its
national interests by resort to war shall be
denied the benefits furnished by this Treaty;
Hopeful that, encouraged by their example,
all the other nations of the world will join in
this humane endeavor and by adhering to the
present Treaty as soon as it comes into force
bring their peoples within the scope of its
beneficent provisions, thus uniting the civi
lized nations of the world in a common renun
ciation of war as an instrument of their
national policy;
ARTICLE II
The High Contracting Parties agree that the
settlement or solution of all disputes or con
flicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin
they may be, which may arise among them,
shall never be sought except by pacific means.
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Literature, Primary Source, and Biography Readings
ARTICLE III
The present Treaty shall be ratified by the High
Contracting Parties named in the Preamble in
accordance with their respective constitutional
requirements, and shall take effect as between
them as soon as all their several instruments of
ratification shall have been deposited at
Washington.
This Treaty shall, when it has come into
effect as prescribed in the preceding paragraph,
remain open as long as may be necessary for
adherence by all the other Powers of the world.
Every instrument evidening the adherence of
Chaoter 26
153
Chapter 26, Primaty Source ReadIng, Continued
a Power shall be deposited at Washington and
the Treaty shall immediately upon such deposit
become effective as between the Power thus
adhering and the other Powers parties hereto.
From Peace in Their Time: The Origins of the KelloggBriand Pact by Robert H. Ferrell. Yale University Press,
1952.
— UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU READ
After you have finished reading the
selection, answer the following questions in the space provided.
1. Name the countries to which Article I refers as the High Contracting Parties.
2. How long did Frank Kellogg and Aristide Briand wish the pact to last?
3. Why do you think the people of the United States celebrated the signing of the
Kellogg-Briand Pact?
4. In your own words, paraphrase the ideas stated in the Kellogg-Briand Pact.
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5. Why do you think the pact failed?
6. Do you think a pact like the one designed by Kellogg and Briand would have a
chance of working today? Why or why not?
ACTIVITY
A pact is an agreement by which two or more parties must abide. Think of an unde
cided issue within your community or school. Work with a classmate to write a pact
concerning this issue that addresses both sides of the argument.
154 Chapter 26
Literature, Primary Source, and Biography Readings