The Wilson Administration and the Great War

What it is

This book, written by Ernest W. Young and published in 1922, examines the actions and decisions of the Wilson Administration during the First World War. It focuses on how the government functioned during a time of crisis.

Why it matters

Written only a few years after Wilson left office, this book offers an early assessment of his wartime leadership, before later historians had the benefit of greater distance. It shows how contemporaries were already trying to make sense of Wilson's legacy and the war's impact on the United States.

Look closer

• Why might a book written so soon after events give a different perspective than one written decades later?
• What does the author's framing of the war as a test of government 'functioning' tell us about his priorities?
• What questions about Wilson's presidency might this book leave unanswered?