Woodrow Wilson

’s War Address To Congress: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay, Research Paper

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Woodrow Wilson.s War Address to Congress

With the status of the country.s belligerency heavily in question, an

apprehensive President Woodrow Wilson prepared to request from an

unmotivated and unprepared country a declaration of war against Germany.

After exerting every attempt possible to retain the peace and honor of the

United States, the President was finally forced to choose between the two,

in which he opted for the latter (Seymour 26). As he sat down to compose

his congressional address proposing war, the uncertainty of his decision

overwhelmed him. He confided to a member of his cabinet, Frank Cobb, that

he had never been as unsure about anything in his life as the judgment he

was making for the nation (Baker 506). Through a rhetorical analysis of

Wilson.s points of argumentation and his style in the presentation to the war

congress, we can gain a better understanding of the president.s purpose to

not only convince the Congress that American belligerency in the final stages

of the war would indefinitely shorten it and provide him with the opportunity

to organize the peace for Europe as well as the rest of the world (Ferrell 2),

but to sway the American people.s opinion to one of non-isolationism, to warn

Germany.s government that .America would ultimately wield a powerful

sword to deny them victory. (Parsons 2), to compel German citizens to

relinquish the submarine attacks and negotiate peace and his terms (Parsons

2), and to calm his own uncertainty about his decision.

The need for Wilson.s speech and the current mindset of the

American public were a direct result of a succession of antagonistic events

in Europe that were rapidly effecting the United States. As the task of

remaining neutral became increasingly unfeasible due to numerous insults by

the British and German governments, Wilson was forced to shift his foreign

policy into a more internationalist scope, a path which the majority of

Americans failed to follow (Boyer 791). The same man who was reelected in

1916 on the platform .he kept us out of war., who delivered the .peace

without victory. speech, who urged his country to remain neutral .in action.

as well as .in thought. was now asking Congress to approve American entry

into the war.

As President Wilson confronted the nation on the evening of April 2,

1917, he presented a case of past offenses coupled with present

circumstances in hopes of providing a more effective case for leading

America into war (Blakey, 2). He employed antecedent-consequence

throughout the beginning of his address to warrant his call for belligerency.

By recapitulating the events of German abomination as seen most profoundly

in the sinking of United States vessels, Wilson let the record speak for

itself. He appealed to the sense of compassion in his audience with the

mention of .hospital ships as ships carrying aid to the stricken people of

Belgium….have been sunk with the same reckless lack of concern or principle.

(Baker 510) It was these .hard-hitting charges of outrage and insult by

Germany. that stirred Wilson.s listeners (Baker 514). He continued to relate

events of the past to his present standpoint by admitting that he was at

first .unable to believe that such things could be done by any government.

(Safire 110), but as American lives were unjustly taken he realized that the

German government had disregarded all respect for international law and

had declared war against mankind (Baker 510).

This war .against mankind. Wilson defined as the intent of German

submarines to take the lives of innocent, uninvolved citizens, whose

activities, being supplying aid to bereaved nations or exporting goods on

merchant ships, have always been deemed as inoffensive and legitimate

pursuits, by no means worthy of assault (Safire 111). Wilson contrasted the

British.s interference with neutral trade as slight compared to the

immediate and intense conflict with Germany over submarine warfare,

illustrated by the comment .Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful

and innocent people cannot be. (Safire 111).

The President went on to offer another definition in hopes of

justifying his call to war. He labeled the conflict as .a war against all

nations. exemplifying the distress that other countries have experienced

due to the unbiased and relentless bombing of their own neutral ships

(Safire 111). By associating the United States with other friendly countries

who are also at odds with Germany, Wilson.s cry for war seemed more

convincing. He went on to assert that the choice made by the U.S must be

befitting to the singular characteristics of the country and that they must

be very clear what their motives upon entry into the war were: not

vengeance or p

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать