Did the united states join the league of nations at the end of world war i?'

World War I was the most destructive conflict in human history, fought in brutal trench warfare conditions and claiming millions of casualties on all sides. The industrial and technological sophistication of weapons created a deadly efficiency of mass slaughter. The nature of the war was thus one of attrition, with each side attempting to wear the other down through a prolonged series of small-scale attacks that frequently resulted in stalemate. Though the origins of the war were incredibly complex, and scholars still debate which factors were most influential in provoking the conflict, the structure of the European alliance system played a significant role. ^1 1 start superscript, 1, end superscript This system had effectively divided Europe into two camps, based on treaties that obligated countries to go to war on behalf of their allies. In the immediate aftermath of the war, American and European leaders gathered in Paris to debate and implement far-reaching changes to the pattern of international relations. ^2 2 start superscript, 2, end superscript The League of Nations was seen as the epitome of a new world order based on mutual cooperation and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.