Future US President Woodrow Wilson was born December 28, 1856 in Staunton, a town in northern Virginia. The boy had Irish and Scottish roots. Father Woodrow became a Presbyterian theologian. He was a supporter of slavery and after the outbreak of the Civil War supported the Confederates. At the church, the Wilsons even opened an infirmary for wounded soldiers.
The religiosity of his father also influenced Woodrow. As the place of his education, he chose Davidson College, located in North Carolina and preparing ministers for the Presbyterian church. Then, in 1875, Woodrow Wilson entered Princeton University, where he became interested in history and political philosophy.
Scientific career
In 1882, a young specialist had the opportunity to start a career as a lawyer. However, the practice of law quickly disillusioned Wilson. The very next year, he decided to resume his theoretical research and went into science. The graduate student entered Johns Hopkins University, where he studied for a Ph. D. The degree was received in 1886. Even before that, the scientist wrote a bookabout the American Congress, for which he received a special award from his university.
The scientific and teaching career of the future politician was connected mainly with Princeton University, where he was in 1902-1910. served as rector. The fundamental five-volume History of the American People was written within the walls of this institution.
Political career and election as president
Wilson adhered to the views of the Democratic Party. As her candidate, the aspiring politician was elected governor of New Jersey in 1910. Active social reforms immediately began in the state, initiated by Woodrow Wilson. A brief biography of a politician will not be complete without mentioning this period of his life. Through his efforts and the promotion of new insurance laws, he has become a well-known figure on an all-American scale.
In 1912, the Democratic Party unexpectedly nominated Wilson as their candidate in the next presidential race. Those elections were unusual for the American electoral system. Usually, two main candidates argued for a seat in the White House - from the Democratic and Republican parties. In 1912 this familiar pattern was broken. In addition to Wilson, the Republican protege William Taft (27th US President) and Theodore Roosevelt (26th US President), who was close to him in the electorate, who, due to the conflict, left the Republican Party and founded his own Progressive Party, joined the race. The split could not but affect the voting results. Wilson confidently defeated Taft andRoosevelt, dividing the Republican half of American voters.
Was the success that Woodrow Wilson achieved in 1912 deserved? A brief biography of the Democrat shows that he was an atypical figure for the position of the President of the United States of that time. Wilson's controversy primarily lay in the fact that he was a Southerner, and his family during the Civil War supported the Confederates and slavery. Before him, all presidents were born in the northern states. If there had not been a split between Taft and Roosevelt, Taft would have defeated Wilson. However, circumstances played into the hands of the Democrat, and now he had to prove that he deserved the credit of trust given to him by American voters.
Domestic policy
The biggest domestic policy reform of Wilson's first term was his transformation of the US financial system. In 1913, he established the Federal Reserve System. This new body received broad powers. The Fed began to act as a central bank and exercise control over commercial banks operating in the United States. The Federal Reserve System has had an independent status since its founding. For example, it does not need the president's approval to implement monetary and credit policy decisions. At the same time, Congress gained control of the Fed.
Even today in the United States continues to operate the same system, the initiator of which was Woodrow Wilson. He carried out public administration, adhering to the rule of checks and balances. Under Wilson, the structure of powerbecame more balanced than ever - none of its branches (executive, legislative or judicial) could impose its course on the whole country. The establishment of the Fed was one of the steps to consolidate this order.
On the international stage
Woodrow Wilson had to be president in a troubled era for all mankind. In 1914, the First World War began in Europe. At first, the US president did everything in order not to draw his country into a conflict in the Old World. At the same time, he tried to be a truce between the warring parties, although his proposals for negotiations did not lead to anything. Republicans believed that President Woodrow Wilson was making the mistake of pursuing a peace-loving policy, and constantly criticized him for his chosen foreign policy.
In May 1915, a German submarine sank the Lusitania, sailing off the coast of Ireland under the British flag. There were also a large number of American citizens (124 people) on board this passenger ship. Their death caused a flurry of indignation in the United States. After this episode, the policy of pacifism, supported by Woodrow Wilson, was even more criticized. The biography of this statesman, like any other US president, was full of episodes when he had to make difficult decisions. So this time, the White House demanded that Germany stop the unlimited submarine warfare, because of which the Lisitania died. The Germans gave in. At the same time, Wilson began to persuade the Britishto limit the naval blockade of the enemy. The dispute between official Washington and London led to some cooling of their relations.
Declaration of war on Germany
It was the foreign policy situation that became a key factor in the 1916 presidential election, in which Wilson ran for a second term. His election campaign was based on the fact that it was he who was able to save the United States from entering a major war. The main rival of the first person was the Republican candidate Charles Hughes. The elections demonstrated almost equal popularity of opponents. Hughes won by close margins in some states, and Wilson won in others. In the end, it was the incumbent president who managed to retain the coveted seat.
A month after taking office, Wilson initiated a declaration of war on Germany. What was the reason for this sharp turn? First, the Germans, contrary to their promises, resumed submarine warfare and again began to threaten American ships and citizens traveling to Europe. Secondly, British intelligence intercepted the so-called "Zimmermann telegram" and passed it on to the United States. The essence of the document was that the Germans urged Mexico to declare war on its northern neighbor if Washington nevertheless decided to oppose the Reich. The telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann was published in the press. In the United States, anti-German sentiments again seethed. Against this backdrop, Woodrow Wilson's diplomacy abruptly changed course. On April 6, 1917, the United States declaredwar of the German Empire.
Fourteen Points
First of all, Washington greatly expanded the program of naval and economic assistance to the allies. Formally, the United States did not join the Entente, but acted as an associated country. All front-line operations were led by General John Pershing. In October 1917, American troops appeared in France, and in July 1918 - in Italy.
Wilson, in turn, led diplomacy. He formulated the famous "Fourteen Points". It was the program of the future world order. Wilson hoped to build a system of international relations in which the possibility of war would be reduced to a minimum. The key decision, implemented according to the program of the American president, was the establishment of the League of Nations. This international organization was the first of its kind. Today it is naturally considered the forerunner of the UN. The Fourteen Points were publicly formulated on January 8, 1918, in a speech before Congress by Woodrow Wilson. Quotes from it immediately hit all the major newspapers.
Paris Peace Conference
US entered the war against Germany already at the final stage of the conflict. In November 1918, the Central Powers were finally defeated, despite their separate peace with Soviet Russia. Now the victorious countries had to determine the future of international relations. For this purpose, the Paris Peace Conference was convened. She worked for exactly one year - fromJanuary 1919 to January 1920. The American president also took part in it. For several months, Woodrow Wilson's house moved from Washington to Paris.
As a result of the conference, dozens of peace treaties were signed, borders within Europe were changed, new states were created, the League of Nations was established. Although it was the American president who initiated its appearance, the Senate refused to ratify the agreement on the League of Nations (at that time the majority in it belonged to the Republican opposition). Because of this, a paradoxical situation has developed - an international organization began its work without the United States. Nevertheless, it was Wilson, with his Fourteen Points, who played one of the key roles at the Paris Conference. In 1919, the Nobel Committee awarded the American President the Nobel Prize for his peacemaking.
Theory of State Administration
In addition to his political career, Woodrow Wilson is also known for creating the modern system of US government. In 1887, as a professor, he initiated the theoretical development of this issue. Wilson formulated his ideas in the landmark article "The Science of Public Administration", published in 1887.
The future US president analyzed the problems that stand in the way of reform in democratic countries. He noted that any serious changes in the state occur as a result of a compromise between two forces - the government and public opinion. At the same time, Woodrow Wilson emphasized: the adoptionimportant political decisions cannot be entrusted to a crowd that does not understand the essence of the country's political course and its national interests. Instead, the author of the new theory proposed to influence public opinion in such a way as to convince citizens of the need for certain transformations.
The professor compared the art of state power over the country with business. This message was largely prophetic. More than a hundred years after the appearance of Wilson's article, capitalism has given rise to huge corporations, which in their political weight are in no way inferior to some states, and their managers can exert a significant influence on the life of society. But it's not just about scale. The management methods of an effective company manager and a public manager do indeed have many common features (especially in the economic component). In both cases, you need to acquire a skilled team of supporters, properly distribute powers, keep an eye on the budget and competitors.
Interaction between politicians and bureaucracy
Wilson's important thesis was the idea of separation of administrative and political management - the first should fall on the shoulders of the bureaucracy, and the second should remain in the competence of the "first person". This concept was supported by the prominent American political scientist and educator Frank Goodnow. Two theorists drew a clear line between administrators and politicians and believed that relations between them should be based on the principle of subordination. One is bound to obey the other. In the case of politicians' control over bureaucrats, theywill be able to interfere in politics, but will simply do their job effectively.
Woodrow Wilson and Frank Goodnow defended the idea that such relationships ensured the development of democracy. Within their framework, political leadership and legislation set the key direction for administrators. Based on all these theses, Woodrow Wilson's theory of management first of all tried to highlight the topics and answer questions about what effective management and scientific management should be. It is also important that the author of the concept overshadowed the importance of the political ideology of the state.
Death and legacy
1919 was one of Wilson's busiest years. He constantly moved around the world, took an active part in conferences, persuaded the Senate to ratify the agreement on joining the League of Nations. Against the backdrop of stress and fatigue, Wilson was struck by a stroke. In October 1919, he was paralyzed on the left side of his body, in addition, the man was blind in one eye. In fact, from that moment on, the president became incompetent. Until the end of his powers, most of the duties of the first person fell on the shoulders of his advisers. According to the constitution, Vice President Thomas Marshall could take over as his boss, but he did not take this step.
In March 1921, Wilson left the White House. Republican Warren Harding became president. Woodrow Wilson's new home was in Washington. The former president spent the rest of his days away from politics. Because of his condition, he avoided publicity. Wilson died on February 31924.
Americans keep the memory of their 28th president. In 1968, Congress founded the Woodrow Wilson International Science Center. In a special act, this institution was called a "living memorial" to the memory of the president. The scientific center employs scientists whose field of activity is political science - a subject in which Wilson became the author of many advanced theoretical ideas.
