Wilson
Why did they care about Wilson? I don't know how it is in England or Russia, but in the USA, doesn't Congress declare war, not the President?
shareYes, congress declares, but Wilson would have asked for a declaration of war. Traditionally the president asks for it and congress approves. There wasn't the will to go to war until certain events (sinking of Lusitania, Zimmerman telegram, etc) occurred or came to light. I think the president could veto the declaration, and then congress would need a super majority to override his veto. And with the pres being "commander in chief" of the armed forces, I'm not sure we'd have an actual declared war that the sitting president opposed.
Since Wilson had campaigned and was re-elected in 1916 on the promise of keeping out of the war, he wouldn't just change his mind, and the broad portion of Americans didn't have the desire to get involved.
I wondered whether the President could veto a declaration.
shareJust imagine a president going to war because he didn't want his scandal to be exposed... That'd irk the hell out of me. Sacrificing lives for his self-centered ego. Why I personally won't ever join a military to fight another nation unless our leader had skin in the game with him being at the front of the lines or children in it as well.
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