S8 Ep1120: The Tragedy of Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations Guest: David Pietrusza The 1920 election cycle begins with a physical and political crisis as President Woodrow Wilson suffers a massive, debilitating stroke in October 1919. This event leaves him fr
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 12 July 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
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Summary
The Tragedy of Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations Guest: David Pietrusza The 1920 election cycle begins with a physical and political crisis as President Woodrow Wilson suffers a massive, debilitating stroke in October 1919. This event leaves him frail for the remainder of his life and turns the League of Nations into the central, polarizing issue of the upcoming campaign. Historian David Pietrusza notes that while Wilson viewed the League as his "crusade," the Republican Party was deeply divided between isolationists and those seeking specific "reservations" to protect American sovereignty. Amidst this, Theodore Roosevelt — who many believed would be an "unstoppable" candidate for 1920 — dies in January 1919. Wilson reportedly reacted to his rival's death with "hatefulness" and "vulgarity." As Wilson's inner circle masked his declining health, the political stage was set for a transition from his rigid internationalism to a new era of Republican leadership. (1)
1920
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| 0:33.6 | This is CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor. |
| 0:40.0 | Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:42.6 | 1920, the year of six presidents. |
| 0:45.2 | I welcome David Patricia, historian of this and presidential elections on either side of it, |
| 0:51.4 | but this is the election of 1920. |
| 0:53.8 | And it begins with a tragedy. |
| 0:56.2 | It is the night of 1st October 1919 at the White House, 1st October to 2nd October. |
| 1:04.4 | The first lady, Edith, hears a sound, and she rushes into the president's bedroom. He's sitting at the edge of his bed, |
| 1:14.3 | Porto Wilson. He's reaching for a glass of water but can't quite manage it. Why? Several days before |
| 1:22.1 | a stroke comes to him and he's been raced back to the White House from a speaking tour. He needs help to get |
| 1:28.9 | into the bathroom. His wife helps him and then she rushes to the phone to call Dr. Grayson |
| 1:35.3 | because something's happened to the president, something in addition. She hears a thump |
| 1:41.3 | and she discovers Woodrow Wilson unconscious on the floor of his bathroom, and helpless. |
| 1:47.6 | I welcome David Petrucia to help us tell this story of, from that moment, everything changes in American politics. |
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