United States
Woodrow Wilson
1856–1924 President, 1913–1921
A Princeton professor of political science and president of the university before he entered politics, Wilson became governor of New Jersey and, in 1912, president. He kept the United States neutral for nearly three years and was re-elected in 1916 on that platform. Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, along with the Zimmermann Telegram, changed his mind, and his war message of 2 April 1917 cast the conflict as a crusade for democracy and a lasting peace. He insisted on American independence, entering as an Associated Power rather than a formal ally. His Fourteen Points of January 1918 and his struggles at the Paris Peace Conference are covered in later chapters. A stroke in October 1919 left him an invalid for the rest of his term.