Promised to stay out of the war, then caved with the first incident.

President Wilson presided over the largest worldwide conflict in history at that time. World War I was unquestionably President Wilson's greatest crisis. However, prior to the war, a serious conflict with Mexico threatened to erupt into a war. The Mexican problem had been giving President Taft headaches. Wilson refused to recognize the ruthless authoritarian government headed by the rebel Victoriano Huerto. Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to seize control of the port city of Veracruz. The move greatly weakened Huerto's government, and he abandoned power to Venustiano Carranza, who had led several movements in protest of Huerto's government. Wilson immediately recognized Carranza as the President of Mexico. While Wilson can be credited for forcing the ruthless Huerto into exhile, things in Mexico were far from resolved. General Pancho Villa moved to provoke a war between the Carranza regime and the United States, and he and his rebels crossed into New Mexico and slaughtered several Americans. Wilson immediately dispatched 7,000 marines to the region to capture Villa. They were unsuccessful. In 1917, when it looked evident that the United States would enter the War in Europe, Wilson reluctantly withdrew forces from the region. This was clearly a mistake, as the withdrawl led to political and economic instability in Mexico in the years that followed. However, this crisis pales in comparison to World War I. In 1916, his re-election was largely a result of being able to keep the United States out of the foreign war. Soon, however, German submarines began engaging in warfare at sea, eventually attacking a British liner, killing 1,200 people, including 120 Americans. Anti-German sentiments rose throughout the nation, espescially in response to a secret telegram that Germany had sent to Mexico urging them to join the Axis side. Wilson insisted on patience and demanded that Germany halt its submarine warfare. When Germany refused, Wilson asked Congress to declare war, which they did in April of 1917. Most Americans supported Wilson's decision to go to war, but clearly, many Americans objected to the war. In response, Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to drum up public support for the war. Hundreds of speakers traveled the nation in support of the war effort, giving nearly 800,000 lectures. However, rather than drum up support, the efforts actually caused more resentment. The speakers deemed those who opposed the war as traitors, causing civil unrest in many areas. Wilson sponsered the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which outlawed criticism of the government and the war effort. In drumming up public opinion for the war, Wilson was largely unsuccessful, and I find his Sedition Act to be very distasteful and unconstitutional. However, in administering the war itself, Wilson was very successful. The Allies experienced several cunning military victories upon U.S. entry into the war, and in November of 1918, the Germans surrendered. Nearly 48,000 men had been killed in action. Immediately, Wilson proposed his plans for post-war Europe. Wilson wanted new diplomacy, proposing self-government of small nations and general disarmament after the war. He wanted no hostile occupation of the defeated Axis powers. Wilson's most important initiative was calling for the establishment of a League of Nations to prevent future wars. However, it was quite clear that many both at home and abroad detested Wilson's plan. espite Wilson's almost superhuman efforts in traveling accross the country to drum up support for his League of Nation, the Senate refused to ratify the organization. Arguably, had Wilson's plans for a peaceful reorganization of Europe been implemented, along with his League of Nations, the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and World War II may have been prevented. Wilson seemed to have such vision for the world, but was a small fish in a big sea. His vision did not coincide with public opinion. However, his vision was a good one for both America and the world and could've prevented the horrors of the decades that followed. So, in the final analysis, Wilson most certainly made his missteps as President. While he suceeded in overthrowing the Huerto regime in Mexico, he failed to achieve the political stability that he had hoped for. Despite the fact that nearly 200,000 African Americans had served in the war and many lost their lives, he refused to support anti-lynching laws and supported segregation of public facilities. His domestic leadership during the war is questionable, espescially considering his sedition policies. However, his vision for post-war Europe, had it been implemented, could've prevented so much tragedy, so much inhumane suffering, and the loss of so many lives in the period that followed.