Primary sourceDocument22 May 1917 (published 9 June 1917)
The President's Note to Russia
Woodrow Wilson · 22 May 1917 (published 9 June 1917)
Wilson's May 1917 telegraphed note to Russia's Provisional Government, restating America's war aims.
Wilson wrote this note himself, setting out U.S. war aims to Russia's new government.
About this source
What it is
This is a diplomatic note written by President Woodrow Wilson, telegraphed to the Russian ambassador in May 1917 and published in U.S. newspapers in June 1917. It restates the reasons the United States entered the First World War.
Why it matters
The note was sent soon after Russia's revolution, as the United States prepared to send a delegation to the new Provisional Government. It shows Wilson trying to clarify American war aims to a new ally at a moment of political upheaval in Russia, and reveals how he used public statements to shape opinion both abroad and at home.
Look closer
- Why does Wilson say it is urgent to correct 'misrepresentations' about America's aims?
- What does the note suggest about how the U.S. saw its role among the Allied powers?
- What does this document leave out about the complicated politics inside Russia at the time?
This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Woodrow Wilson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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