Woodrow Wilson, the Great War, and the Fourth Estate

by James Startt

Overview

James D. Startt previously explored Woodrow Wilson’s relationship with the press during his rise to political prominence. Now, Startt returns to continue the story, picking up with the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and tracing history through the Senate’s ultimate rejection in 1920 of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

Woodrow Wilson, the Great War, and the Fourth Estate delves deeply into the president’s evolving relations with the press and its influence on and importance to the events of the time. Startt navigates the complicated relationship that existed between one of the country’s most controversial leaders and its increasingly ruthless corps of journalists.

The portrait of Wilson that emerges here is one of complexity—a skilled politician whose private nature and notorious grit often tarnished his rapport with the press, and an influential leader whose passionate vision just as often inspired journalists to his cause.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623495329
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	05/26/2017
Series:	Joseph V. Hughes Jr. and Holly O. Hughes Series on the Presidency and Leadership
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	440
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

JAMES D. STARTT, senior research professor at Valparaiso University, is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of numerous books, most recently Woodrow Wilson and the Press: Prelude to the Presidency.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 The President and the Press 1

Chapter 2 The War the Press, and Propaganda 16

Chapter 3 Neutrality Tested: 1915 38

Chapter 4 National Anxieties: 1915 54

Chapter 5 Politics under the Shadow of War: 1916 73

Chapter 6 Peace and "War in the Balance: 1916-17 97

Chapter 7 Managing the Media in Wartime 120

Chapter 8 Criticism on the Home Front 138

Chapter 9 Diplomatic Realities: 1917 168

Chapter 10 Wilson's Peace Initiative: 1918 189

Chapter 11 The End of the War 213

Chapter 12 Interlude between War and Peace 234

Chapter 13 At the Summit 253

Chapter 14 Return to the Summit 273

Chapter 15 Statesmanship in Abeyance 293

Chapter 16 The End of the League Debate 310

Epilogue 323

List of Abbreviations 327

Notes 329

Bibliography 387

Index 403

Interviews

• Scholars/students/enthusiasts of World War I
• Scholars/students/enthusiasts of American diplomatic/political history and presidential studies
• Communications/Rhetorical Studies scholars and students

Editorial Reviews

“Definitive is a word historians usually avoid, but it characterizes this book better than any other. Its research, interpretation, and writing are impeccable, and anyone interested in its several subjects, as well as the evolving nature of presidents’ relations with the press, should read it forthwith.” —The Journal of American History

The Journal of American History