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America Enters World War I Critical Thinking Assignment

Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1912, and came into office in 1913 with what many

considered a neutral stance on foreign matters. It was Wilson’s goal to keep America completely

out of World War I, which began in 1914—and have the country serve as a peacemaker to other

nations. However, his efforts were largely unsuccessful; many countries failed to take seriously

any of Wilson’s offers to be a mediator.

Wilson did not have a great deal of experience dealing in foreign affairs, as he had begun

his political career in New Jersey. As governor of that state, Wilson focused on domestic issues

like election laws and Workmen’s Compensation. After he gained popularity, he was nominated

for the presidency and won a majority of the electoral votes with a platform focusing on

individualism, states’ rights, and neutrality. Wilson went on to win a second term in office with

the slogan “He kept us out of war.”

His neutral stance and lack of involvement in foreign matters have been attributed to his

religious upbringing and academic background. A devout Christian, Wilson did not believe God

was calling him to enter World War I, so he attempted to keep the United States out of the

conflict. His academic side also heavily influenced his political views and decisions; in his

studies of politics, he focused heavily on the idea of power (History, 2023). Though experience
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with international matters is now of great importance, it was not always so. When Wilson

entered office, foreign affairs expertise was not considered a prerequisite. Just before his first

inauguration, Wilson said, “It would be the irony of fate if my administration had to deal chiefly

with foreign affairs.” Unfortunately, with World War I was on the horizon, Wilson was thrust

onto the world’s political stage (2022).

Reference

A. The United States Government. (2022, July 12). Presidents. The White House. Retrieved

February 6, 2023, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/woodrowwilson.

B. History, U. S. (2023, February 4). Free textbooks online with no catch. Opens tax.

Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history

C. "Transcript." American History, ABC-CLIO, 2017, americanhistory2.abc-

clio.com/Topics/Display/1187769?cid=141&sid=1880405. Accessed 9 Jan. 2017.