President Wilson speech to Congress
History
Wilson, commonly referred to as the President travelled to Europe at the end of the first World War and rallied support to bring peace back in Europe by declaring a war that was going to end all the wars. On April 2 1917, President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint Congress session to request a declaration of war against Germany. President Wilson decided to declare the war against Germany because the Germanys had increased submarine warfare against the American merchants. Wilson’s war address to the Congress provided a foundation for American foreign policy. In the speech to Congress, President Wilson convinced the Americans to accept all the costs and sacrifice to bring peace in their land by declaring a war against the Germany Government.
During the joint Congress session, Wilson justified his support for the American involvement in World War 1. President Wilson stated how the Germany government had acted ruthlessly to the American merchants and passengers. In the address, President Wilson identified how the Germany policy had swept away and sunk all the vessels, including those that were carrying the relief materials to the bereaved people in Belgium. President Wilson stated that Germany Government has led to the loss of American lives by sinking the American vessels. Wilson in his speech focused on Germany’s acts that had affected the lives of the Americans to try to rally the Americans for the war against Germany’s. “I was for a little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations” (Wilson, 1996). After President Wilson addressed the Congress on the reasons why Americans should counter Germany’s dictatorship, he then stated how America was going to be involved in the first world war against the Germany Government. President Wilson put it clear that the American government was going to cooperate with other nations in the war against Germany by providing the necessary war resources such as troops to fight against the Germany Government.
Few days after President Wilson persuaded the Congress to declare war on Germany, Eugene V. Debs moved across the country delivering moving antiwar speeches. In his Canton antiwar speech, Debs stated that there is an oppressor who has wrapped himself in the name of patriotism to deceive people (Debs, 1918). In the statement, Debs was referring to President Wilson who had deceived the Congress to declare the war against Germany and its allies. Debs in his Canton speech sheds light on the people on the adverse effects of war. “Every one of them insists that the war is being waged to make the world safe for democracy. What a humbung! What a rot! What a pretence! (Debs, 1917). Eugene V. Debs stated in his speech that there is no war in the history that has ever been declared by the people. Debs warns the Americans against being used by the influential leaders to be involved in the war. Debs states that the leaders do not participate physically in the war, but they deceive people into going in the war, which risks the lives of the people.
The United States Army produced World War propaganda poster in 1918 to gain peoples’ support. The poster had the writing “DESTROY THIS MAD BRUTE” The poster also had an image of a monster torturing a human being. The monster represented the Germany Government while the human being been tortured was an American citizen. The image was in line with Wilson’s message that Germany’s were brutal and rude in their dealings with Americans, which encouraged Americans to participate in World War 1.
President Wilson successfully convinced the Congress to declare the war against the Germany government. President Wilson outline the procedure that the United States was going to use to fight against Germany in the World War 1. Individuals who were spreading the antiwar speeches were jailed to ensure that the people do not change their mind on participating in World War 1. The United States collaborated with other Nations who were in war with Germany Government. The United States started by supporting the nations fighting against Germany with resources that included the provision of trained soldiers and financial resources.