Preview

Woodrow Wilson's Role In World War I

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
734 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Woodrow Wilson's Role In World War I
The United States entered World War One on April 6, 1917. During that time, America had to tried to keep out of World War One – they had traded with the nations that were involved in the war – but the unrestricted submarine warfare, were introduced by the Germans on January 9, 1917, which was the prime issue that caused Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on Germany on April 2nd. Four days passed by and the Americans joined the war on the Allies side.
In 1914, war was declared in Europe; concurrently, America started a policy of neutrality and isolation. When the news of the trench warfare and the horrors associated with it reached the shores of the US, it confirmed to the government that they had started with the right approach.
…show more content…
Though he was originally assigned work to members of his cabinet and others, he preserves full control over what Americans did in terms of foreign policy. As a student of modern history, Wilson was very informed that some of the causes of the war were rarely black and white which is why the modern European scenario was a complicated one. For this reason, he preserves the Americas noninterference, he didn't believe that any of the America’s interests were intimidated by European war – if the trade could continue abundantly. On August 4th, 1914, Wilson formally announced that America would take part in World War One neutrality extended to policy of “Fairness” – whereby American bankers could lead money to both sides in war. Overseas trade was a little more complex. Trade with both sides was allowed and merchant ships crossed the Atlantic to trade. However, a British naval blockade of German coastline made it unfeasible for America to trade with Germany- through no fault of her own. The British policy of blockading Germany was the main reason on why Germany eventually introduced unlimited submarine warfare. Germany would have declared the Britain which would had forced her into taking this kind of …show more content…
First, Britain turned their back on the Memorandum signed by its own Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey. Then, Britain started growing maritime activities concerning the ships to stop trading with Germany and other members of the central Powers. Finally, the treatment of those who were taken into custody after they failed Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916 had greatly irritated the influential Irish-American community on American’s east coast. To many, Britain had lost the virtuous high ground and to some it seemed as if Britain didn't want peace at all. On November 7th, 1916, Wilson had won the presidential election. To many Americans, he was still seen as a man of peace whereas his rival, Charles Evans Hughes, was as a warmonger. Wilson spent the next few months trying to set up a way that America could lead peace by discussion that would end the war. They had lost so many lives by going to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, President Woodrow Wilson tried his best to stay neutral in the European conflicts. However, he was not able to do this because of the attacks on many American crafts which lead to the death of many citizens. Woodrow tried to take a peaceful approach to the war by making many attempts to come to an agreement with Germany. Germany refused and their relations deteriorated. This lead to U.S. involvement in World War I. Wilson justified his actions by saying that he was making the world safe for democracy. In the end the war caused a lot of bloodshed, and most impacting a lot of social, political, and economic…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    America wanted to remain neutral at the beginning of the war because they believed in isolationism. Because of this many americans were resistant to joining the war but things like committees were created to help spark interest. However germany did not think america was neutral because we helped the allied powers by sending supplies to england. This policy with the allies hurt usv in a way because it kind of forced us into the war. We were also pulled into the war because of things like the zimmerman telegraph and the sinking of the lusitania, which killed many americans.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the early years of this great nation we find to amazing men that wanted to preside over the United States in ways no others had attempted to do as of yet. They both had great ideas and in some ways were similar and yet others miles apart. They believed their way was gospel and this country would perish under the other so to speak. President Roosevelt was out to be our great Nationalist with a campaign based on a human welfare goal. However, Woodrow Wilson was out to be the first great Freedomist with a campaign based more on a property welfare goal. There are pros and cons from both sides when you think about it but the question is which is best for the United States and its future. It was a time for Progressivism here in the good old USA…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Woodrow Wilson helped to win the First World War; he lost the peace back in America. Wilson claimed that he was a pacifist and that America would not fight the war that raged with a bloody vengeance in Europe. Wilson insisted that America must stay neutral publicly, but behind closed doors, he sought out ways to support Great Britain and France through the means of financial support. While the majority of Americans were pleased with being neutral, many immigrants from German and Europe were wanted America to fight for their side and created tensions between cultures. America also gave food and clothes to the Allie forces by putting them underneath a cruise ship with no one the wiser.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The presidencies of both Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson featured significant foreign policies. Roosevelt favored imperialism and increasing American influence and prestige, willing to use force when other means failed; many of his projects, such as the Panama Canal, succeeded. Wilson was an idealist, eager to promote democracy and world peace, and unwilling to use force; many of his attempts to encourage democracy and peace, such as the League of Nations, backfired. While the primary aim of both was to increase American influence as a world power, Roosevelt’s foreign policy initiatives succeeded more than did Wilson’s.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Woodrow Wilson won the election in 1912 by only forty percent of the electoral vote, but he and the electorate were in the same mind about staying away from the European conflict. On August 1914, the war broke out in Europe, but Wilson declared the US policy of neutrality. He urged Americans to be “impartial in thoughts, as well as action” (Keane). The United States welcomed millions of immigrants from both Allied and Central power nations. On 1914, it was impossible for America to speak with one voice on any matters and the authorities knew that the class tension can turn to be deadly. The neutrality thought was strong in many ethnicities, especially in Irish, Swedish and German Americans. Women, church leaders and farmers also supported for the neutrality. The neutrality created problems in relationship with England and Germany. But some of the Wilson’s advisors openly supported allies. The problems quickly escalated and retain used its navy to establish a blockade and the blockade affected the American trade with Germany. But later Britain agreed to buy American products to offset the laws of the German market.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson declared war. In previous years to this declaration, Wilson advocated neutrality. In his reelection of 1917, the people who stood with him promoted his presidential candidacy by claiming “He kept us out of war.” Although, Wilson didn’t use this in his own campaign because he knew that entering the First World War would be inevitable. Subsequently, the United States sent the first American Military Force to fight in the European War when German policy of unrestricted warfare threatened Americans at sea, President Wilson saw a chance to not only defend American’s interests, as well as changed the policy of intervention with other countries, but to make the world safe for self-determination. World War One, was a turning point in the United States world affairs in that it was a change in diplomacy of the League of…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During the years when the World War I took place Wilson entered his second presidency term. At the beginning he planned to keep United States out of the war but after Germany killed thousands of people and started to attack U.S. merchant ships he changed his view. At that time, President Wilson saw Germany as the enemy. Therefore, he build an army of four million troops and sent half of them to France and that’s when for the first time Wilson reached out to Germany with the message to end the war peacefully without the need of someone to win. He had a vision of self-determination for all nations. Later, he publicized the Fourteen Points to be used as a peace maker. Not only did he come up with peace terms, but he also stated ways to make the…

    • 188 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The two countries had long simmering national rivalries and complex ethnic conflicts but, the war erupted when a Serbian nationalist murdered the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and his pregnant wife. Many Americans were not in favor of the war and wanted to remain neutral, and honestly so did President Woodrow since he had no prior experience with international relations. At first, America did stay…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Winning the also would have shown that the U.S. as a world power. Overall, Wilson did not express all of the American’s interests because it would have made the country look…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States during the 20th century. During this time, many nations were going to war with each other. Wilson’s job as a president was to protect his country from harm. He always advocated for peace and neutrality and didn't want to get the US involved in this mess. Little did he know, Wilson had a huge decision to make during his time as president.…

    • 334 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When WWI started, President Wilson had no intention of joining in on the war. He even stated that he wanted Americans to be “neutral in their hearts and in their minds”. One reason why this request was difficult was because America was filled with immigrants. Since all these immigrants came from different countries and backgrounds, they had loyalty to certain countries that were involved in the war. Another reason neutrality was hard for America was our financial relationship with the allied powers.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wilson promised “New Freedom” which consisted of reducing tariffs, creating a national banking and credit system, and breaking up the trusts. The Underwood Act was passed under him, which helped his goal of new tariff legislation. The Federal Reserve Act created a national banking system. Although the domestic affairs where under Wilsons belt, the domestic front was not given enough attention until World War I broke out. Woodrow Wilson was reelected in the 1916 election and held a new campaign slogan, “He kept Us Out of War.” Wilson declared war on Germany on April 2nd, 1917, regarding their submarine attacks. Wilson’s most successful accomplishments during the war included his appointment of Pershing as the head of the American Expeditionary Force, obtaining a new military draft, and appointing Bernard Baruch as head of War Industries Board. Wilson then decided to become the leader of the U.S delegation in the 1919 peace conference in Paris, where he accomplished a great deal. In 1919 Wilson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his creation of the League of Nations. Woodrow Wilson left such an impact on politics. “The Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission, the income tax amendment, support for laws supporting unions, workman’s compensation, and limitations on child labor were the results of his actions. (O’Brien) ” Woodrow Wilson died on February 3rd, 1924 after a terrible…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John M. Cooper, Jr. bases his opinion that Wilson was responsible for the failure of America joining the League because of his illness that happened during his speaking tour in 1919. Many factors went into why Wilson chose to do act the way he did and Cooper makes sure to explain them all. The first factor mentioned was that Wilson was ahead of his time and this was directed towards him and his personal role. Cooper states, “Without Wilson, the League fight almost certainly would not have arisen in the first place. A less bold and visionary leader-one who was not ahead of his time-would not have attempted to do so much” (182). Wilson refused…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays