About Woodrow Wilson

War Leader

Wilson's primary goal at the outset of the European war in 1914 was to maintain American neutrality and to help broker peace between the warring parties. As a war president, Woodrow Wilson led the nation from preparedness to victory in a mere eighteen months.

After several attempts to negotiate peace had failed, American ships in neutral waters were fired upon and sunk. When Germany tried to induce Mexico to attack the United States, Wilson called upon Congress to declare war in April 1917. He and the nation mobilized to support the war effort, building an effective military and employing the newest technological innovations.

The first American troops saw action in October 1917, and soon after in January 1918 Wilson issued his Fourteen Points for Peace. By November of that same year the terms of an Armistice had been drawn up and hostilities ceased. While achieving victory and securing his place in history as well as in the hearts of a generation, Wilson met his chief war goal: peace.

The Big Four after Signing the Treaty, June 28, 1919. Left to right: Britain's Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Italy's Premier Vittorio Orlando, France's Premier Georges Clemenceau, and President Woodrow Wilson.