Foreign Policy Dbq Analysis

After the Second World War, American foreign policy was, for the most part, different then post World War 1 foreign policy. As a result of the war, we decided that threats to peace and freedom elsewhere in the world did affect us, that if we ignored serious trouble in the world it would probably eventually find us. Thus, after the war we became internationalist using our power and prestige to help and protect our friends and acting to prevent wars wherever possible or to minimize them when they did break out.

From the 1920s to the beginning of the World War II, as the country which played a dominant role in Europe, Germany was the one that took advantage of other small Europeans country by its strong power. Hitler and his Nazi party demonstrated their ambition to make Germany a stronger country. Under the pressure of the German power, other European countries were afraid to justify equality and agreements among all the European countries.

The U.S. wanted neutrality during the war. The citizens of US knew that their involvement in the first World War had been a terrible mistake driven by bankers and business owners with business in Europe. They believed this should never be repeated again. To keep America out of the war, Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts, and they took no part in conflicts such as the Spanish civil war, but Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that the Axis Powers would soon conquer Europe, and America would be their next target. The question of the extent of US involvement had divided the country. On one side were Internationalists, who argued that giving aid to Great Britain and France would make US going to war unnecessary. On the other side were Isolationists, who believed that US should not have association in the war and remain neutral by avoiding financial deals with countries at war. Roosevelt was an internationalist.(“The Neutrality Acts, 1930”).

During the 1930s, American’s public opinion and policy toward isolationism was contributed from the psychological and physical effect of the Great Depression and the tragic losses in World War I. Isolationists “advocated non-involvement in European and Asian conflicts and non-entanglement in international politics” ("American Isolationism in the 1930s - 1937–1945 - Milestones - Office of the Historian"). Neutral Acts were aimed to prevent Americans from being drawn into foreign wars. Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany, invaded Poland; which sent France and Britain into war honoring their commitments to Poland. France and Britain were not prepared for war and needed aid. Although the United States proclaimed neutrality, President Roosevelt

The early half of the nineteenth century was a whirlwind of emotions for the american public. Society boomed the 1920s as world war one was over and done with and the consumer market grew to extraordinary measures. However, once the 1930s hit, the United States spiraled into a nation wide economic depression. Not much longer, the world threw itself into world war two in the 1940s. During most of this period Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the president, being that he served the nation as president from 1933 to 1945, and sought to stabilize America in every way possible. One of the ways this was done was through foreign policy. As the prospect of peace and then isolationism faded, America gradually went from supporting a government that avoided

Furthermore even Roosevelt had accepted the second neutrality act; he had still find various way to assist china in the Sino-Japanese war because public opinion favored china, however he didn’t openly assist China in a official way; therefore he wouldn’t be considered as a gradualist or a staunch isolationist. This is important because it shows that Roosevelt is more of a pragmatist since he also take consideration on what’s happening in the world as he realize that US involvement in war was unpreventable, therefore he had decide to Secretly assist China as it would help him on pushing US to war and it is also in favor to the public. Roosevelt had also invoked neutrality in the Italo-Abyssinian War 1935-6. This is important because it shows that Roosevelt is concerned about the conflict in Europe and the Far East as he did not wish to offend Italian Americans. By doing this it ensure that Italy would be well equipped to defeat Ethiopia as it allows Italy, a growing industrial power to bought large quantities of American oil; where Ethiopia had bought none as it was still feudal. Furthermore Roosevelt had also opposed the neutrality act of 1937 as it restricted his right as president to assist friendly countries. This is

Post-World War I was a time for reevaluation: of alliances, of war tactics, and of what it meant to be a part of humanity. The so-called Great War left people around the world feeling exhausted, disgusted1, and yet stubborn in the desire for just compensation for their losses2. The United States found itself in a peculiar position born of Wilsonian neutrality ideals and immense war debts from the Allies; foreign policy decisions were entrenched in an internal battle between isolationists and internationalists3. While the 1920s are often said to have been dominated by the isolationists, perhaps American leadership through economic manipulation played larger role than it has been given credit4. The United States was not an isolationist nation after WWI, and its economic foreign policy decisions had global consequences.

‘Roosevelt argued that the isolationist fantasy of the nation as a safe oasis in a world dominated by fascist terror evoked for the overwhelming majority of Americans not a dream but a "nightmare of a people without freedom"’ (Dunn, Susan). Roosevelt, who was the US President during WWII, believed that a policy of isolationism would lead only to destroying America's freedoms. This view was highly controversial as the US debated whether to intervene in WWII. Isolationism had been a long-held practice and mostly beneficial policy for the United States. However, in the 1940s, it became necessary to reconsider isolationism. The future of American ideals such as liberty and democracy greatly depended on the US’ course of action. With the growing prospect of a dangerous German threat, the US needed to intervene to protect these ideals and keep the war off of American soil. However, since the US was unprepared

The United States tried desperately to avoid foreign affairs. It was America’s goal to have as little political involvement with other countries as possible, similar to George Washington’s farewell address at the end of his second term as president, in which he asked that America should avoid entangling alliances. Even as World War I approached the current president Woodrow Wilson, along with the majority of Americans, still tried to avoid involvement with the war. America also had little to no involvement with foreign affairs in Asia at the time, although the aftermath of the war would influence an increase in involvement. Although America tried maintaining it’s position of isolation, it would soon become a nation eager to be involved in foreign

The year is 1941, war is waging in Europe between the Axis and Allies with the United States trying to remain neutral. Yet, the nation was sharply divided between “Isolationists,” those who wanted to stay away from conflict and “Interventionists,” those who wanted to intervene against the Nazi regime. President Franklin Roosevelt belonged to the interventionists as he perceived the war as “a life-and-death struggle in defense of Western values” which had become abandoned by Nazi Germany and their allies. (Burtness and Ober 740) Yet, his presidential campaign promise was to keep America out of war and with the public in disunity, Roosevelt had very little hope of rallying the American public to declaring war. This neutrality would come to

U.S. foreign policy throughout the twentieth century was fairly consistent with regards to trade. Economic benefit to the U.S. in supplying belligerents during the First and Second World Wars left the nation in relative secure economic condition. However, prior to the implementation of what became known as the Truman Doctrine, the U.S. generally steered clear of foreign entanglements unless U.S. security was threatened.

After World War I legacy the Great Depression brought isolationism. The best work produced by President Roosevelt was the Four Freedoms; freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. President Roosevelt was the leader of the Allies, he used this statement as part of his Allies aim. The Soviet Union joined the Allies after being invaded by Germany. Millions of art were sold and reprinted as it publicizes the Four Freedom in 1943. In 1940s after tension between the United States and Japan over East Asia, on December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. There was no warning of this attack happening as a result United States declared war on Japan. The Good neighbors policy was, brought into place by President Roosevelt and Hoover in 1930s. This was a policy that would help the relationship between Latin American countries and the Unites States. The good neighbors policy would not only help the Latin countries but also the United States with trade and military.

In the late 1930’s a major war involving most of Europe would tip the scales of history forever. As Europe engulfed in flames the United States saw no reason nor benefit in engaging in WWII themselves. But as strong power hungry countries like Germany and Japan gained the upper hand in this fearsome war against the U.S.’s allies President Franklin D. Roosevelt war urged to do something about it. Under the Lend-Lease Act America would “maintain” their isolationism but lend its allies weapons and supplies without actually entering the war. Seeing this as an act of helping the enemy Germany engaged into unrestricted warfare and sank U.S. supply ships. Not only that, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and killed many Americans and an naval base.

Roosevelt once said in 1940 "I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again: your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.” Roosevelt wasn't just thinking about himself, he was thinking about the nation and he sent the allies which is the military, they had prepared for war, that he had to fight against the threat and instead of putting the civilians at risk he put his military out in order to fight against the enemies because they decided that they wanted to save their country. After, war broke out in Europe, Roosevelt noticed that the conflict will have and also had threatened the United States security and searched for ways to help Europe without being involved in the war but the United States could not have avoid

“Leave us out of it”, Seemed to be America attitude towards the rest of the world in 1930’s. At the beginning of the ‘30’s, foreign policy was not a important issue for the average American. The stock market had just crashed and each month brought greater hardships. American participation with Europe had brought war in 1917 and unpaid debt throughout the 1920s. Having grown weary with the course of world events, citizens were convinced the most important issues to be tackled was domestic. Foreign policy leaders of the 1930’s once again led the country down its well-traveled path of isolationism.