S8 Ep143: Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations in the 1920 Election — David Pietrusza — The 1920 presidential election opened with the tragedy of President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919

Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations in the 1920 Election — David Pietrusza — The 1920 presidential election opened with the tragedy of President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919, leaving him profoundly incapacitated for the remainder of his life. His relentless advocacy for American membership in the League of Nations dominated the electoral debate. This issue deeply fractured the Republican Party into competing factions: isolationists rejecting international entanglement, reservationists demanding conditional participation, and internationalists supporting unconditional commitment—divisions reflecting broader American public skepticism regarding binding international obligations. 1913 WILSON