From the outbreak of the war president Wilson hoped to preserve American neutrality and from
his vantage point, do what he could to bring about peace. As early as May
10, 1915, he addressed several thousand foreigners, after
neutralization ceremonies, and made one of his most famous and controversial
pronouncements.
Akshara Bhargava
In 1916,
Wilson was re-elected president by a slender margin, no doubt on the basis of
the slogan “he kept us out of war.” With this justification he directed a
note to the belligerent government that would at least give them an honourable
excuse to begin negotiations.
This failing
he called congress together and delivered his carefully prepared address on “peace
without victory”, which was
really directed at the people of warring countries. But he couldn't maintain
his proud neutrality much longer. Just at this time the German government
returned to unrestricted submarine war, and Wilson was obliged to appear again
before congress with his proposal to break off relations with the German
government.
And so on April
2, 1917, he asked a
hushed Congress, in a joint session, to declare that a state of war
existed between the United States and Germany.
Akshara Bhargava
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