Positive Benefits Of Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson’s presidency spanned from 1913 to 1921; he remained as President throughout the entirety of the First World War. Mid-war (1916) Wilson won a presidential election, indicating that – for at least the first half of the war – he was popular amongst the voting population. This was in part due to his neutrality, and that he prolonged America’s entrance into the war. Presumably, his presidency would have been successful either if he had maintained support from the American public, or if America had benefit from his actions. In contrast, a weak presidency would have been detrimental. Wilson did have a positive influence throughout his presidency, boosting the economy and minimalizing the potential damage the war could have caused.
Woodrow …show more content…
Wilson was able to further benefit from his neutrality policy outside of civil affairs; he was able to trade with both the Allies and the Central Powers, supplying munitions to both sides. It has been said that the trading pulled the US out of the depression it had been experiencing, which of course would have benefit the overall population, whether or not they were in support of Wilson. Although it is possible that this could have been achieved by solely supplying the Allies, as the majority of trading was with them, neutrality had the added benefit of keeping America civil. Boosting the economy is an undeniably positive achievement, and could have made the post-war damage less severe, as war tends to be detrimental to an …show more content…
Whether or not it had been become necessary to join the war, it was inevitable that there were some who were disappointed by Wilson’s decision; the German supporters, and those who had voted for Wilson in the hope that they would not have to fight. During war it is important to have a leader that inspires confidence, so fighting does not feel futile, and one who had previously supplied the opposition with weapons is not a strong candidate. It could even be said that this prolonged the war slightly, which ties into the moral ambiguity of profiting from the deaths of those who had been fighting. Even his decision to support the allies could have been swayed because of the wealthy individuals who did, making this not a morally sound decision, but rather one in which the President demonstrates that he is susceptible to corruption. The economic and civil benefits are evident, to a certain point, and then they begin to decline when America joins the war. Wilson was unable to maintain the policy of neutrality, despite the fact that the sequence of events may have been strong strategically (being able to trade until a point where it was socially acceptable to break