Essay 2: 3-5 Pages. Essay 2 asks you to examine President Woodrow Wilson’s approach to dealing with World War I or the “Great War,” as it was called at the time. Using the documents below, see how his thinking about the war evolved over time, what he hoped to achieve through his policies and what he decisions he came to.

This essay asks you to trace the path of Woodrow Wilson from peace to war. World War I broke out halfway through Woodrow Wilson's second year as president. He had already been involved with difficulties in Mexico, but the great conflict in Europe was of a larger dimension. Within days of the first declaration, many of the major powers were involved in the war.

• Wilson and Neutrality 
• Wilson Peace without Victory
• Wilson's 14 Points
• The Zimmermann Telegram
• Wilson Takes America to War
• Senator Norris Opposes War
• Senator LaFollette Defends Right of People to Oppose War
• Declarations of War, 1914-1918

Discussion. President Woodrow Wilson, like many other American presidents, found himself caught up in foreign affairs, even though he had other issues on his agenda. Among his predecessors, Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Polk, Lincoln, and McKinley all found themselves embroiled with issues involving other nations, sometimes leading to war. In future generations presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and both Presidents Bush would find themselves engaged in foreign conflicts. President Obama is dealing with America's lengthy engagement with Afghanistan. How presidents negotiate this difficult terrain has been a constant challenge for American foreign-policy.

You should read the assigned material in the text for background. Then read each one of Wilson's documents assigned and write an essay in which you describe the evolution of his thinking. You should summarize the documents in your own words. At the end I would like you to discuss whether or not you think Wilson handled the situation as well as possible. Be sure to read the documents that conflicted with Wilson in attitudes toward the war.

Behind this assignment is the compelling question of why any president should commit his nation to armed conflict. The United States has been at war for at least 50 of our 236 years of existence as a nation. Still, we consider ourselves a peace-loving nation. The general consensus is that if we are to go to war, there should be an issue “vital to our national security” that makes war necessary. That leads one to ask what “vital” really means. There is no right or wrong answer to your conclusion; it should be based, however, on your analysis of the original sources.

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Updated March 24, 2012