Compare and Contrast United States Foreign Policy After the First World War and After the Second World War. Consider the Periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
John Bogue Mr. Corcoran
AP American Research Paper 4/1/10
Compare and Contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
United States foreign policy has always been characterized by a commitment to free trade, protection of American interests, and a concern for human rights. Our founding fathers, specifically George Washington, are responsible for much of the influence regarding foreign policy after their time period and up to the present day. Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned the country to stay out of permanent foreign entanglements and to stay neutral. The United States stayed faithful to Washington’s warnings for about 125 years. But, when the age of Imperialism hit, the country was forced to intervene to prevent other countries from rising up and becoming world powers. The atrocities of imperialism caused something that America will always regret; The First World War. After the war, the United States’ foreign policy changed from all out intervention to almost complete isolation, similar to what George Washington suggested. After the Second World War, American foreign policy back once again to intervention to try and make the world a better and more peaceful place. In comparison, each foreign policy have nearly no similarities, but a wealth of differences.
There were many reasons for the Unites Sates’ shift to isolationism after the war. In the period following the war, isolationism could be broken down into political, economic and social isolationism. Politically, America did a lot to avoid entanglements with foreign countries. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson traveled to Europe to deliver his “14 points.” These so called points were
AP American Research Paper 4/1/10
Compare and Contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
United States foreign policy has always been characterized by a commitment to free trade, protection of American interests, and a concern for human rights. Our founding fathers, specifically George Washington, are responsible for much of the influence regarding foreign policy after their time period and up to the present day. Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned the country to stay out of permanent foreign entanglements and to stay neutral. The United States stayed faithful to Washington’s warnings for about 125 years. But, when the age of Imperialism hit, the country was forced to intervene to prevent other countries from rising up and becoming world powers. The atrocities of imperialism caused something that America will always regret; The First World War. After the war, the United States’ foreign policy changed from all out intervention to almost complete isolation, similar to what George Washington suggested. After the Second World War, American foreign policy back once again to intervention to try and make the world a better and more peaceful place. In comparison, each foreign policy have nearly no similarities, but a wealth of differences.
There were many reasons for the Unites Sates’ shift to isolationism after the war. In the period following the war, isolationism could be broken down into political, economic and social isolationism. Politically, America did a lot to avoid entanglements with foreign countries. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson traveled to Europe to deliver his “14 points.” These so called points were
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