When Wilson turned to the Congress on the second of April in 1917, he aimed to announce that political agreements and the relation to Germany were under dire threats. Only four days later, on the sixth of April 1917, the United States passed a war resolution that declared the entry into the Great War. The war had already been ongoing since 1914, when America eventually joined in 1917, however, there was no end in sight. The entry of America caused a massive change in the course of the war, but, apart from this, the participation in the war marked a significant step towards the pursuit of world power in American history.
Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany in his speech Address to Congress because only the congress was granted to declare war as the constitution from 1789 had determined. He was aware of the fact that the Government, the Congress as well as the whole nation was not in favour of a war those days. Therefore, he used genius methods and technical brilliance to convince the Congress to engage in the war. On the basis of his persuasive speech he achieved to change America's attitude towards the war.
Aristotle once formed an outline on how to master persuasion that is called symboleutikon and aims to give speakers a sort of framework for their speeches on the one hand. On the other hand, it defines concrete principles of how persuasiveness can be attained through speech. It consists of three major persuasive appeals called ethos, pathos and logos whose deployment is inevitable in persuasive communication.
According to Aristotle's outline, ethos is used to give insight in the speaker's credibility and reliability. Pathos refers to an appeal to emotion, to evoke emotion and to move the audience. His last term logos describes the use of reason, logic and the use of evidence.
Table of Contents
1. Close Reading – Address to Congress
2. Context around 1917
2.1 Woodrow Wilson
2.2 Zimmermann telegram
2.3 Anti-German sentiment
2.4 Great War
2.5 Term – Imperialism
3. Additional Source Material
3.1 “Destroy this mad brute – Enlist“
3.2 “School begins“
4. Discussion Questions
Objectives & Core Topics
This work examines Woodrow Wilson's 1917 Address to Congress through a rhetorical lens, while providing historical context to understand the shifting geopolitical climate that led the United States to join the Great War.
- Application of Aristotelian rhetorical principles (ethos, pathos, logos) to presidential speechwriting.
- The historical catalyst of the Zimmermann telegram in shifting U.S. neutrality.
- Societal impacts of anti-German sentiment and the domestic atmosphere during World War I.
- Imperialist and expansionist ideologies influencing early 20th-century American policy.
- Critical analysis of historical propaganda and political cartoons as tools of nationalism.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Close Reading – Address to Congress
When Wilson turned to the Congress on the second of April in 1917, he aimed to announce that political agreements and the relation to Germany were under dire threats. Only four days later, on the sixth of April 1917, the United States passed a war resolution that declared the entry into the Great War. The war had already been ongoing since 1914, when America eventually joined in 1917, however, there was no end in sight. The entry of America caused a massive change in the course of the war, but, apart from this, the participation in the war marked a significant step towards the pursuit of world power in American history.
Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany in his speech Address to Congress because only the congress was granted to declare war as the constitution from 1789 had determined. He was aware of the fact that the Government, the Congress as well as the whole nation was not in favour of a war those days. Therefore, he used genius methods and technical brilliance to convince the Congress to engage in the war. On the basis of his persuasive speech he achieved to change America's attitude towards the war.
Summary of Chapters
1. Close Reading – Address to Congress: Analyzes Wilson's speech using Aristotle's rhetorical framework of ethos, pathos, and logos to explain how he successfully navigated political opposition to declare war.
2. Context around 1917: Provides the historical background regarding Wilson's presidency, the impact of the Zimmermann telegram, rising anti-German sentiment, the conditions of the Great War, and the era's imperialist ideology.
3. Additional Source Material: Investigates specific historical artifacts, including an Army recruitment poster and a political cartoon, to illustrate the visual rhetoric and nationalist fervor of the period.
4. Discussion Questions: Reflects critically on the persuasiveness of Wilson's rhetoric, the distinction between the German state and its people, and the justification of criticisms leveled by figures like Theodore Roosevelt.
Keywords
Woodrow Wilson, Address to Congress, World War I, Great War, Zimmermann telegram, Rhetoric, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Anti-German sentiment, Imperialism, Nationalism, Expansionism, Neutrality, Propaganda
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This work explores the rhetorical strategies employed by Woodrow Wilson in his 1917 address to the U.S. Congress, contextualized by the geopolitical events of World War I.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central themes include rhetorical analysis of political speech, the transition of the U.S. from neutrality to global intervention, and the expression of American imperialist and nationalist ideologies.
What is the specific research goal?
The research aims to demonstrate how Wilson utilized ancient rhetorical principles to align a resistant Congress and public with the necessity of entering a global conflict.
Which methodology is applied in the paper?
The analysis utilizes a qualitative, historical, and rhetorical approach, primarily applying Aristotelian discourse theory (ethos, pathos, logos) to primary source documents.
What does the main body cover?
The main body covers a close reading of Wilson's speech, the historical context of 1917, and a visual rhetorical analysis of propaganda materials and political cartoons of the era.
Which keywords define the work?
Key terms include Woodrow Wilson, rhetoric, World War I, Zimmermann telegram, anti-German sentiment, and American imperialism.
How did Wilson use pathos to address the war's "brutality"?
Wilson used pathos by emphasizing the sinking of vessels and the loss of lives to contrast "American good intentions" with "German brutality," aiming to evoke empathy and urgency for action.
What significance is attributed to the "School begins" cartoon?
The cartoon serves as a critique of American imperialist expansion, illustrating the nation's perceived role as a "civilizing" force over newly acquired territories, laden with racial stereotypes.
Why was Theodore Roosevelt critical of Wilson?
Roosevelt criticized Wilson for his perceived aloofness and lack of military preparation, arguing that Wilson’s hesitant leadership rendered the eventual entry into the war inevitable and reactive rather than strategic.
- Quote paper
- Dominik Höge (Author), 2020, "Address to Congress" by Woodrow Wilson. Context around 1917, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1481908
