Declaration Of War: Wilson Vs. Roosevelt

With emergence into executive power, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt were met with the onset of a global conflict materializing into a situation beyond the practicality of American intervention; a seemingly unprecedented turn of events for the United States. The evolution of the war in Europe in both instances manifested itself into widespread conflicting sentiment in America and overall nationwide disapproval of intervention into the conflict. There was grave concern prior to World War One and World War Two as tensions seemed without a definite resolution in the immediate future. In the first World War, Wilson led under the unrealistic impression of American mediation in the conflict overseas, all while petitioning for the American

In contrast, the president developed a concurrent mindset where he had inwardly ignored the distressed public sentiment of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Through this highly criticized mindset, Roosevelt recognized the importance of American intervention in the war and established goals for which he would manage neutrality in The United States. Ultimately, Wilson and Roosevelt headed in the direction of a Declaration of War, and although the means to which this was acted upon are different in nature, they both managed for an outward impression of neutrality. Although Wilson and Roosevelt adopted similar leadership principles during WWI and WWII respectively, their overall effectiveness can be examined through the president’s application of neutrality before American involvement, how they managed public sentiment in the United States, and the ultimate reversal of neutrality with progression into

There was a differing effect in WWI compared to WWII as the prevalence of anti war groups in addition to the WPP began to boom at startling numbers. The Women’s Christian Temperance Group and United Mine Workers were examples of sections of the American public that provided a means to which Wilson’s ideals ran with vigour. They were, as the public will be in WWII, the power or possible drainer of ideologies represented by the president at the time. For most of the concerns regarding neutrality pre WWI, the American people and Wilson had similar ideals with an emphasis on preparedness for war but ultimately supported neutrality rather than an interventionist approach to the cause. With the public response having reached the threshold of the executive branch, American ideals were the main focus of a Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin. Although she was outraged by an increased tension arising with the United States, she argued that it was right to vote against war in that case because although she loved her country, she could not support the heinous account of war in Europe. Much more prevalent in Roosevelt’s administration was the opposition to the cause of the presidency. In both cases, Wilson and Roosevelt set the outward impression to the public as a