U.S. foreign policy
U.S. foreign policy encompasses the strategies and decisions that the United States employs in its interactions with other nations, with an overarching goal of advancing national interests while navigating complex international relationships. Historically rooted in a period of isolationism, U.S. foreign policy began to take shape before the nation’s founding, as leaders sought diplomatic solutions to avoid conflict, such as Benjamin Franklin’s efforts to negotiate with Great Britain. Over time, this stance evolved, particularly with the establishment of the Department of State in 1781 and the formulation of significant doctrines like the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which aimed to limit European intervention in the Americas.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, U.S. foreign policy adapted to emerging global dynamics, especially after the Spanish-American War in 1898, which marked the U.S.'s ascent as a global power through territorial acquisitions. The shift from isolationism gained momentum during World War I and World War II, as the U.S. increasingly engaged in international conflicts and took on roles in post-war reconstruction. The Cold War further transformed U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing economic and military support for countries resisting communism. In contemporary times, U.S. foreign policy continues to address global challenges, including economic interests in the Middle East and the fight against terrorism, reflecting an ongoing commitment to international engagement.
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U.S. foreign policy
Foreign policy is how a nation deals with other nations. It is meant to further the nation's self-interests but also guide its relationships with other nations. Foreign policy is affected by other nations' activities and factors such as international trade. US foreign policy developed during a long period of isolationism from which America emerged as a global power.
Overview
US foreign policy began before the country was founded, when Benjamin Franklin practiced diplomacy while trying to negotiate peace with Great Britain to prevent the Revolutionary War. Later, American leaders created the Articles of Confederation, which established the United States’ new government. The Department of Foreign Affairs, which today is known as the Department of State, was founded in 1781.
Early on, American leaders chose to keep the country politically distant from foreign nations. While other countries engaged in wars, the United States practiced neutrality. As President George Washington argued in his farewell address, the United States was better off avoiding political interactions with other countries.
Nevertheless, this hands-off approach did not last. In 1803, the Department of State helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, which transferred control of much of central North America from France to the United States. Later disputes with other nations again increased the size of the country, but US leaders still wanted to maintain a political distance from foreign countries. In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine summed up the nation's new philosophy and intentions: the United States would not permit further colonization of the Western Hemisphere, would not meddle in European matters, and would allow no foreign interference in American affairs.
This approach characterized US foreign policy for about a century. Hostilities close to home, however, changed things. In 1898 the United States supported Cuban resistance fighters in their bid for independence from Spain. The Treaty of Paris in 1898 not only ended the war, leaving Cuba a free nation, but also left the United States in control of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. These acquisitions made the United States a global power. US foreign policy had to adjust to the country's new status. For example, the US territory in the Philippines put American interests in close proximity to Asia and, in particular, China. Many European nations were diligently seeking to increase trade in this vast market. The United States suggested a policy of free trade in China, also called the open door policy.
President Theodore Roosevelt significantly altered the nation's hands-off foreign policy as defined in the Monroe Doctrine. In the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904, he put forth the idea that "some civilized nation" could interfere in Latin American states if they committed "chronic wrongdoing" or failed to maintain a civilized society. He further stated, "In the western hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power."
The twentieth century brought new challenges to the US policy of neutrality in foreign conflicts. World War I began in 1914 between the Allied Powers—Great Britain, France, Russia, and Japan, who were later joined by Italy—and the Central Powers—Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. The United States reaffirmed its neutrality but was forced to reconsider when German U-boats repeatedly targeted American shipping interests. In 1917 the United States entered World War I and became an associate of the Allies. After the war, President Woodrow Wilson believed America could broker peace between the combatants, but otherwise the nation generally maintained its isolationist policy.
Though the United States remained neutral through the early years of World War II, it sold Britain some destroyers in exchange for leases on bases in the western Atlantic. Later, it provided Great Britain and the Soviet Union with economic assistance. The American public supported isolationism, despite the escalating atrocities against Jews in Europe. While the United States was able to accept many more political refugees than it was admitting, the public was against this plan and wanted to focus on domestic issues. This apathy changed on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The United States quickly became engaged in the war and played a central role in creating plans to rebuild Europe at war's end.
US foreign policy reached another turning point during the Cold War. President Harry Truman's Truman Doctrine requested economic assistance from Congress for Greece and Turkey to prevent them from being overthrown due to internal strife. Soon similar assistance was requested for Europe. The formerly isolationist nation was actively involved in foreign affairs and the promotion of a free-market economy around the world.
In more modern times, US economic interests have led to significant involvement in Middle Eastern affairs. Twenty-first century US foreign policy also includes fighting terrorism.
Bibliography
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