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Us Isolationism 1919-41

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How far was US foreign policy completely isolationist between 1919-41?

At the end of World War One, the American public were completely against becoming entangled in another European war which would cost American soldier’s lives and be expensive to the economy; this was a feeling which also ran through Congress. The feeling became known as ‘isolationism’. An isolationist policy meant that it focused on domestic affairs and disregarded international issues. During the period, particularly as World War Two grew nearer, it became increasingly difficult for US foreign policy to avoid becoming involved with foreign situations. Despite this, much of foreign policy during the period could be considered isolationist; this essay will attempt to
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Payments to European countries virtually ceased during the Depression and American foreign policy became increasingly isolationist, in order to protect and rebuild the US economy. After his inauguration in 1932, Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR), who was a believer in internationalism, found that public and congressional opinion meant that any policy he tried to pursue that was deemed too interventionist would not be ratified by Congress. His ‘Good Neighbor’ policy withdrew American troops and diplomats in central American countries; despite losing political control in most of these areas, American economic interest remained strong, such as in American oil field in Mexico. The ‘Good Neighbor’ policy as the closest Roosevelt got to following an interventionist policy, it was followed for isolationist reasons. The removal of troops pleased the American public and there was an economic benefit of not being directly politically involved in other countries. Roosevelt showed his isolationism in 1933 when he withdrew the US from the London Conference, which intended to negotiate a plan to rebuild and recover form the Great Depression. He decision to withdrew came as he felt the conference would ruin his efforts for an American recovery
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