Who Wrote: Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States from 1913-1921. Delivered on 4-12-1917
Audience: Wilson is making his case for American involvement in the European war.
What Was Being Said: Wilson lays out his justification for war against Germany. He provides a chronology of German outrages that had led him to the decision to request a declaration of war against Germany. He starts the speech with details on America's attempt to remain neutral, goes over the details of Germany unrestricted submarine warfare and the resulting loss of life and property, dismisses armed neutrality, and discusses Germany's meddling in American and Western Hemisphere politics {the Zimmerman Telegram}. Wilson also vaguely lays out the soft reasons why we fight {democracy and making the world safe for it} and generally goes to a significant degree of effort to vilify the German government and tell the audience we should cast our lot with the Allies.
How Being Said: Clearly the speech is meant for a wide audience and for posterity as Wilson really wrestled with American involvement in WWI. The German government is alternately described as militaristic, imperial, autocratic, selfish and generally un-American. He even describes some other German government's policies "unmanly". In contrast, he paints the allies as being just, democratic, sharing American values, and part of his "partnership of democratic nations" {he was obviously thinking about the League of Nations that would keep the world "safe for democracy"}. Note that he goes to some length to distinguish between bad German government and the German people who are allegedly being taken for a ride by their government{very naive considering the historical record}. The "good" German people theme probably was largely being played for domestic consumption because large German-American voting block was not too keen on going to war against their ancestral home. Not the Russian sidestep, in other words, if the Allies are so good how do you explain Russia being one of them, He rationalizes this in the same naive way he handles the German government vs German people issue: the Russian people are really democratic and good, but their government has taken them for a ride. One wonders what kind of speech Theodore Roosevelt would have given here.
What Proof: Wilson is vague and the speech is probably meant to inspire rather than educate.
Historical Significance: This is a request for a declaration of war by the President of the United States and it was the first time America became directly involved on a European war.
How Does the Document Premise Theme Fit Into the Historical record: I think he got the major points correct. The allies were largely democratic and the Germans were not. The Germans were the aggressor and it was a good idea that they not win the war. He also got it right about an international organization to help preserve the peace in the future.
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I thought you explained woodrow wilsons war address very well, i just have one comment about what you said about what proof, i thought that his speech was also educational from a non historian stand point. So if someone did not Know much about the war address they could read this and educate themselves on it. But i am agreeing with what you said about that the speech was writen to inspire. So i guess my stand point of educate is that he educated the congress on the situation of the war and informing them about whats going on. OVerall i think you hit all the major points.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Chads comment that this speech did inform me a lot about the war because I don't know a ton about history. I think that Wilson's speech was mostly used to inspire. I believe that because he spoke with a lot of confidence the people had faith in him that entering the war would turn out to be a more positive thing and that in the long run the U.Ss would not fall from staying neutral.
ReplyDeleteI also agree Wilson's objective was to inspire, and to provoke emotion rather than educate. And I agree about Wilson making an extra effort to comfort German-Americans. He definitely would not want such a large group of people to be against his decision involving their homeland. I wonder how many German-Americans decided to immigrate to America because of problems with the German government?
ReplyDeleteWith Wilson being so against involvment in the war from the get go I can't help but wonder if his advisors had to coerce him to take action. It seemed to me that he was more worried about maintaining peace (which was clearly non-exisitant), than making the difucult deccisions that need to be made in a more timely maner. But I was also noticing how Wilson wasn't so much giving detail about the reason for the war, but more so riling up the emotions of Americans by pointing out the American values and how the Germans where going against everything our nation stood for.
ReplyDeleteWilson's speech was extremely compassionate, inspiring, and educational. I find that all three of these elements included in this speech made it successful for Wilson's career as he delivered this speech before congress. I do agree with the above comments as I did on the vagueness of Wilson's reasoning for declaring war and that this speech was a motivational one in that we should help defend our freedom for mankind against the aggressive German Government.
ReplyDeleteI also think you made a very good commentary on Wilson's speech. Its interesting how he was eventually the one who would have to make a case to inspire/justify the U.S. involvement in the European war as he was so against it originally. Also he was quoted as saying in the beginning of his presidency that it would be ironic if his administration were the one to "deal with foriegn affairs." Yet his administration did just that in a large way.
ReplyDeleteYou pointed out in this analysis that the difference that wilson had pointed out between the germans and their government was niave of him. However,by not incriminating the german people he keeps the inspiring undertone to his speach, which probably helped to gain the aproval of not only the american people, but people from all over the world. His decision to not discriminate against the german people also showed his seriousness about starting this war to gain peace for everyone again. Do you thnik that this could possibly have been a strategic thing for him to have said?
ReplyDeleteAs with others, after reading, the text clearly showed that Woodrow Wilson had an understanding of emotional appeal. He draws in the audience when he states "I am not now thinking of the loss of property involved, immense and as serious as that is, but only of the wanton and wholesale destruction of the lives of non-combatants, men, women, and children, engaged in pursuits, which have always, even in the darkest periods of modern history, been deemed innocent and legitimate." By using this in his speech the audience is lead to invision their own family, wife, husband, or kids. He finishes this paragraph saying "Property can be paid for, the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot." Some other places he uses emotional appeal is. "a fair chance to save their lives in their open boats." and "Vessels of every kind, whatever their flag, their character, their cargo...have been RUTHLESSLY sent to the bottom without warning and without thought of help or mercy for those on board..." After previously saying we would stay out of this war. You can see throughout this speech his understanding of emotion and how to inspire Americans and draw his audience into his cause for entering the war. To Holly, great analysis! and I do agree it was more to inspire than educate. Although, coming from someone who knows little about WWI this speech alone gave a great summary of why we entered the war. Thanks for your insight everyone! You all have also helped me better understand the text!
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ReplyDeleteWilson's speech was inspiring and educational. I agree with you when you mention the speech was for a wide audience. He wanted this war not be about indemnities or material compensation. He mention "Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and inncent people can't.
ReplyDeleteHow Katie said that she was "noticing how Wilson wasn't so much giving detail about the reason for the war" I think that because he didn't wanted to start the war. He had peaceful intentions. Even after German submarines sank five American vessels of Britain killing 66 Americans, Wilson still called for a"war without hate"! He insisted that the destruction of Germany was not the goal of the United States. He said that America fought to "vindicate the principles of peace and justice" and promised a world "safe for democracy". And about his speech, it wasn't just for congress, but Woodrow stated his intentions for all American public. Thats why I think it was successful.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, you did a really good job explaining the War Address! I agree with all your major points. Especially, when you pointed out that Woodrow Wilson was playing "the "good" German people theme because the German-Americans were not too keen on going to war with their ancestral home." In one way, yes, he was trying to appease the German-Americans. In another, he was trying to keep the peace in the U.S., the U.S. has a mixed population of people from all over the world and going to war abroad would also mean tension and unrest between the diffrent races at home. I think Katie made a great point when she said, "With Wilson so against the war from the get go I can't help but wonder if his advisors had to coerce him to take action." It really does make you wonder what was going on behind the scenes.
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