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Two American Presidents, both very Influential In their time and both having had a great Impact on history are Ronald Reagan and Woodrow Wilson. Both Presidents were advocates of peace even though they would not have hesitated to enter into a war if war was needed to insure the safety of the united States and Democracy as a whole. By use of small wars and political pressures both Reagan and Wilson, with the exception of Wilson entering into WWW-I, used diplomacy and these small conflicts to do what they thought was best and righteous to defend freedom and Democracy.
But were they truly righteous individuals or did they Just have their own ideas and agendas of what was best? Woodrow Wilson: “The Ideals of America” speaks of how the united States evolved after throwing off the tyrannical yoke of English rule. He speaks off time In which the united States was growing from what was once a colonial settlement Into a nation of world power. With the united States now having a powerful presence in places like Cuba, Puerco Rice, Guam and the Philippines due to Willow’s use of military force and occupations between 1913-1916 it is as if Wilson has the passion and feelings of Crusader in the days of Chivalry. We look back to the great men who made our government as to a generation, not of revolutionists, but of statesmen. ” Despite this Wilson was one of the first modern leaders to clearly see the threat an all out war had for civilization at the time while at the same time Wilson excessive actions would get the United States into perilous situations that could provoke a world threatening war. Wilson had a violins of the united States having a global role In bringing about International peace and democracy through use of small scale laity force In places Like the Philippines and through political alliances Like the League of Nations.
Wilson had envisioned the League of Nations but the united States did not Join the League of Nations, which was an obvious failure, but it did none-the-less evolve into what we now know as the united Nations which is a very effective alliance that helps to deter and settle conflicts as well as maintain a world peace and assist countries that can not properly defend themselves against aggression. Wilson also despite his sentiment for not wanting to have an all out world war still rough the United States into the World War I which was In his opinion to preserve peace. Let us put our leading characters at the front: let us pray that violins may come with power; let us ponder our duties Like men of conscience and temper our ambitions like men who seek to serve, not subdue, the world” With this thinking it democracy would be best suited by extending the United States power and ideals through foreign nations. Wilson was a very idealistic yet inflexible but also very righteous in a time when the United States was up against vindictive allies each of whom had an imperialistic view of themselves.
It was quite clear that the after the First World War the allies were more concerned with imperialism than the idealism that Wilson wanted to instill with the League of Nations. It was as if they were more interested in squabbling over who should rule what, get what, and gaining reparations from Germany than they were in making the world better for all. The allies as well as the United States resisted the League of Nations with their imperialism and began to think that Wilson had a Messiah complex.
Wilson was a righteous pacifist who was not much different from any of the other Presidents who had never considered the third world as anything other than beneath the United States and needing its guidance. During and after World War l, Wilson was expanding the United States presence throughout the world in places like South America and Southeast Asia. His goal was to spread democracy and at the same time establish democracy in opposition of communism. Many people don’t look at it like this as Communism was not considered a large threat by many at the time.
Wilson However seemed to be a stark opponent of Communism but was definitely an advocate for democracy. There are few Americans who were living at the time that realize or remember that we had a silent war with Russia. This I must admit I only discovered myself in doing some research online and will keep this short as it is not part of the sources. In the summer of 1918 Wilson implemented a Naval Blockade of the Soviet Union and sent forces into Russia to help anti communist forces during the Russian Revolution.
Though our support for the Czech and White Russian forces failed, it does show an indication of Willow’s belief in Democracy as well as an anti-communist agenda which further indicates his defense of democracy and belief that there should be freedom of such for all nations. Ronald Reagan “We Will Be a City upon a Hill” is a speech in which he gives an uplifting as well as an upbeat opinion about the United States. Anyone that was born before about 1983 will remember Ronald Reagan as the President that brought about an end to major communistic rule in Europe as well as being credited with bringing down the Berlin Wall.
Reagan was about as “American” a President as we have ever had. He had a great love and pride for the United States as well as democracy and he freedoms that we have in this nation. Reagan was a very influential President who had a large impact on the world. He believed that government was not the solution but was the problem per his Inaugural speech in 1980. Reagan was originally a Democrat who became a Republican who brought with him a following of many former democratic supporters in the population. As a Politician he used his experience as an actor to his advantage said speeches.
Reggae’s policies brought the United States into one of its most prosperous eras. He brought down oil prices and helped to end the energy crisis of 1979 and boosted the economy further with tax reforms. During his presidency the United States boomed, unemployment was down, spending was up, and there was a pride in the country that is not felt so strongly today. In the sass’s the United States and Russia were still in the cold war. Reagan was a strong opponent to Communism but wanted to make peace with Russia.
Professing to be against nuclear weapons he still felt that America should be armed for a war that would hopefully never be fought. In his fight against communism Reagan implemented the program we know as “Star Wars” which was a space defense system, seemingly to be out of science fiction. In all reality it was more off trick pulled on Russia causing them to spend more money to attempt to build up their military in a way to compete with such technology. It was actions and diplomacy like these that allowed Reagan to keep out of a major conflict while still defeating communism.
In his fight against communism the United States aided and trained soldiers in, as well as supplied weapons to Afghanistan which was occupied by Russia in the mid sass’s. He also sent forces into Nicaragua and Grenade. There was also the looked down upon Iran-contra situation in which the United States sold weapons to Iran in exchange for Hostages. In all reality the weapons Iran had were not of much use to them as things like Jets that were sold to them once in need of maintenance would not get supplied with replacement parts.
Ronald Reagan is credited as being the president who brought down Russia and the Berlin wall. It was through years of talks as well as using a bit of trickery against Russia that caused the collapse that occurred in 1991 a few years after his presidency. Granted Russia had exhausted themselves both militarily and financially in Afghanistan, but it was the spending they did on that war as well as the arms and genealogy race with the United States that in the end caused their own demise.
Reggae’s Presidency is one of economic growth in the United States as well as one of Victory over our cold war adversaries in Russia. Neither Reagan nor Wilson wanted to enter into a war with our adversaries, and though Wilson did bring the United States into WWW it was not his desire, it was more an unavoidable situation for him. Peace through small conflicts as well as diplomacy, negotiation, and alliances was the desire of both presidents, and both implemented small scale military use in third world countries in their attempts to preserve and rotten democracy.