President Wilson is one of the most successful president in his achievements in Domestic Policy.
In the summer of 1914 all Europe was plunged into war. Wilson called upon the United States to be neutral "even in spirit," but few Americans were able to remain impartial. For two years the president made every effort to avoid war. Even after the unarmed British liner Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine with a loss of almost 1,200 lives including 124 Americans, he argued: "There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight."
In 1916 he was reelected. He defeated the Republican candidate Charles Evans Hughes by an electoral vote of 277 to 254. The campaign slogan "He kept us out of war" probably won him more popular votes than any other factor.
After the election Wilson tried to end the war by active mediation. The Germans, however, resumed unrestricted submarine warfare.
On April 2, 1917, the president asked Congress for a declaration of war. Before a joint session of the two houses he read the solemn words, "The present German submarine warfare against commerce is warfare against mankind. It is a war against all nations. . . . We are accepting this challenge. . . . The world must be made safe for democracy." On April 6, Congress declared war.
In the next 18 months the United States built an army of 4 million men by conscription, sent 2 million men overseas to France, and united the entire population behind the war effort. A vast propaganda machine was created under the title of the Committee on Public Information. The words of Wilson reached the German people by radio for the first time in history. Leaflets were scattered from airplanes, shot from guns and rockets, and smuggled behind the enemy lines. Wilson said that this was a "war to end war." He spoke of "peace without victory" and without revenge.
On Jan. 8, 1918, he announced his Fourteen Points as the basis for a peace settlement. They were more than peace terms; they were terms for a better world. He followed this speech with his famous "self-determination" speech on February 11 in which he said: "National aspirations must be respected; people may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent. 'Self determination' is not a mere phrase; it is an imperative principle of action. . . . "
Wilson had a vision of a peaceful post war world. He saw the League of Nations as an important accomplishment.
While we study about Wilson, it is important to understand that each one of us has both a positive and a negative side. While Wilson was positive about peace, there are instances where one would see his religious bend on several matters, segregation on the basis of race and his refusal to negotiate on the Treaty of Versailles after the war. However, we will focus on the positive impact that he has had on the History of the World.
Woodrow Wilson was one of the most influential Presidents.
