 Complete the following phrase:  On December 4, 1917, Wilson appeared before Congress to deliver the 1917 State of the Union Address. In it, he requested a declaration of war against Austria-Hungary and stated such a declaration to be necessary to clear away with a thorough hand all impediments to success. Wilson went on to charge that Austria-Hungary was the vassal of the German government and was acting as the instrument of another nation. However, Wilsons real impetus for seeking a declaration of war against was the situation in Italy. American military planners believed that it might soon be necessary to deploy American forces to shore up Italian defenses against 