Wilson’s involvement in Mexico could be seen as very successful. In 1913 General Victoriano Huerta, after a revolution, took over Mexico, which at the time was a poor, badly run, violent and corrupt country. The new control of Mexico threatened America’s borders; so to gain control of Mexico again Wilson invoked the Roosevelt Corollary. He did not invoke it publicly though because it was a republican and showed that he was getting directly involved in foreign affairs as much as a republican president would, which was not what he should be doing as a democrat. The American involvement in Mexico meant that American troops were sent in to take control of the country again; the troops landed at Vera Cruz and occupied it, killing 200 Mexicans. Wilson agreed to mediation from other countries, they then made Wilson agree to leave. But when Pancho Villa a Mexican bandit attacked American borders, Wilson got angered and involved again to protect America’s borders. He lined up 150 thousand National Guardsmen on the border of Mexico, he also sent 11 thousand men under the command of General Pershing, to find Villa. The search went on for a year but was fruitless because Villa was not found. But while the search for Villa was on, a decent government was set up, which what was wanted all along, so it was still successful. This situation was a difficult one but Wilson managed to be successful in what he intended to do (to protect America), but he could have regarded his actions as a failure to keep his aims and keep out of another countries affairs.
Other standing American involvement in countries such as Nicaragua where the past president Taft had set up a military presence, Wilson had left there. This was neither getting involved or getting less involved, which meant there was neither a success nor failure. If Wilson had withdrawn the troops there it could have become a success, but he had not, though he did get involved in Haiti. He sent troops to Haiti to help the government; he had this involvement because of the Roosevelt Corollary, which said it was America’s duty to get involved in helping other countries. He also sent troops to the Dominican Republic. These were small failures to reach his aims.
Wilson’s greatest problem that stopped him keeping out of foreign politics, as he wanted to was the First World War. At fist he was sure that America didn’t have to get involved in European problems, the popular opinion was of disbelief that the civilised Europe couldn’t sort it’s problems out peacefully, and delight that America was not involved in it, keeping to isolationism, “no entangling alliances”. Wilson actually said, “America had to be neutral in thought and deed”.
But the consequences of the war would involve America so secretly Wilson did care about who won the war, because it was in Americas interests for the Allies to win. Also within American society there were different groups who had stuck together or merged together in America, Irish-Americans and German-Americans wanted Britain to lose, but the vast majority had emigrated from Britain, France and Russia, and supported the Allies. To gain a stronger public support from America for the victory of the Allies the question put to the public was “Are you American?” The Allies were seen to be fighting for democracy in Europe, something America also fought for. If the person did not support the Allies they were seen to be not supporting democracy, thus were not American but just an immigrant. The public opinion was won over and Wilson had succeeded in gaining support for the Allies. Another success that Wilson had gained but it was not getting him nearer his aim of keeping out of foreign affairs.
As the war progressed the Americas neutrality became biased, as Wilson started loans to the Allies. There was also conflict at sea; both Britain and Germany had declared war zones, which meant the seas were no longer free. Also the Lusitania had been sunk in June 1915 and 128 Americas had died, which got more public support for joining the war.
In the 1916 elections Wilson’s promise was “peace with honour’’, and he was re-elected.
He had already began to get America into a state of readiness by building the size of the army, and increasing substantially the amount of money spent on the navy. He made a last attempt to end the conflict between Britain and Germany so he would not have to take America into the war. Both sides were to explain what they wanted and negotiate, but Germany refused to explain its aims and Britain wanted to take reparations off Germany, for Austria-Hungry to be split up and to take Germanys power off then. Both sides made their positions un-negotiable. In January 1917 Wilson explained he wanted “World Peace” among equals, democracy and freedom of the seas, Germany had already ended the freedom of the seas by starting unrestricted U-boat activity, Germany also had contacted Mexico with the proposition of if they attacked America they could gain more land. Wilson had now got very much involved in the war and foreign affairs he accepted his failure to reach his aims of no involvement with other countries and now had to get America through a World War.
Wilson now had to do what he could to win the war, this included setting up organisations such as the Selective Service Act and the Army Appropriation Act. The Selective Service Act was conscription for young single able men to go to the army. The Army Appropriation Act gave the government power to run the economy, set up businesses and run generally all of America, i.e. who can eat and what they can eat, and when they can eat.
America became the Decisive Power, when Russia collapsed, America joins in and helps win the war for democracy. At the end of the war Wilson had new aims he tried to achieve, to save peace without gain. He brought forward the 14 points, all aiming to make the world free and peaceful, the fourteenth point was to set up the League of Nations. Unfortunately Wilson faced opposition from Europe, as the countries had suffered the most they wanted to punish Germany harshly, to get revenge for the hardships they faced and the men they lost, reparations for the money they lost and so it could not rise again and attack them. If Wilson had not been an influence in deciding Germanys future it would have been punished far harsher than it was, this was a clear success, even thought Germany faced harsh punishment it could have been far worse.
The next step was to set up the League of Nations, which was also done successfully, but even though it was Wilson’s plan to set it up America could not join. There was much opposition from America to join, both public and political. After the war, though America had lost little compared to the other countries involved in the war, the public opinion was supporting full isolationism again, involving no “entangling alliances”, which Wilson was trying to get America into as part of the League of Nations. He also wanted to get Article X as well, which meant that America would provide an army to work for the League of Nations. His demands were too high and he faced much opposition form America. The Republicans also named the ‘irreconcilables’ were against the League of Nations and Article X. Reservationists wanted to join the League of Nations but without the Article X, , as did the senate. This means that Wilson could have got enough support to join the League of Nations but he would not negotiate to reach his aim, he wanted America to both join the League of Nations and with Article X.
In 1920 he and his party were voted out of power, Wilson was ill in health and died soon after, disappointed because he had failed at reaching his aims during his life. If another President had done all the things Wilson did, with the success Wilson had, they would not be disappointed. Wilson achieved many things, he set up a better government in Mexico, gained America respect form the world, gained America much wealth and brought America through a World War with little loss. All his achievements were attained with little cost to America, but gained America much. But because all the things that Wilson did achieve where almost opposite to what he actually wanted he did not do well and in the end he died a disappointed man, his presidency had good aims which at any other time would have been successful but because of the situations he had to cope with he could not carry out and be successful or happy in completing his aims.
