Final answer:
The claim that President Wilson had his stroke in France is false. He suffered from the stroke back in Washington, D.C., after returning from the peace treaty negotiations in Versailles and during a grueling speaking tour across the U.S. to promote the treaty's ratification which dramatically impacted his presidency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that President Wilson suffered a temporarily incapacitating stroke in France while negotiating the peace treaty is false. President Woodrow Wilson participated in arduous negotiations at the Versailles Peace Conference in France to shape the terms of peace after World War I. His efforts led to the creation of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. However, Wilson's stroke occurred after he returned to the United States. It was during a nationwide speaking tour to drum up public support for the treaty's ratification that Wilson's health declined. He delivered 35 speeches in 22 days, after which on October 2, 1919, he suffered a serious stroke back in Washington, D.C. This event significantly impacted the rest of his presidency and the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles in the U.S. Senate.
After this stroke, his wife, Edith Wilson, effectively functioned as a de facto president for several months, overseeing many administrative duties until Wilson somewhat recovered but remained physically weakened and politically ineffective. The eventual failure to ratify the Treaty of Versailles in the Senate and the U.S.'s refusal to join the League of Nations were partisan issues largely influenced by opposition from Republicans at the time, specifically the 'Irreconcilables' and the 'Reservationists' led by Senator Lodge.