Woodrow Wilson: Address in Support of a World League for Peace

President Woodrow Wilson delivered his Address in Support of a World League for Peace on the eve of the United States’ entry into World War I, at the time called the Great War. Wilson outlined the causes of the war and described a way peace could be achieved among all nations if they worked together. Initially, Wilson’s stance was to remain neutral and continue trading with the Allied forces (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, and Japan), but this would prove to be difficult. Wilson came to realize that the United States’ entry into the Great War was unavoidable, especially after Germany began targeting U.S. ships. In addition, Germany was secretly plotting with Mexico to help them take back territory they had lost to the United States in the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). This was revealed after the United States intercepted a telegram sent by German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German minister in Mexico. Prior to the United States declaring war on Germany and the Central Powers on April 6, 1917, Wilson addressed the U.S. Congress on January 22, 1917, to state that the United States should be a key player in achieving peace. Wilson’s Address in Support of a World League for Peace detailed the causes of the global conflict and outlined ways to prevent future wars.