American non-interventionism
American non-interventionism refers to the policy where a nation refrains from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries without their consent, emphasizing the right of sovereign nations to govern themselves. Historically, this doctrine was a cornerstone of early U.S. foreign policy, championed by figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who advocated for avoiding entangling alliances and promoting open economic relations. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 further illustrated this principle, asserting that any European intervention in the Americas would be considered a threat to U.S. interests, although this stance has led to complex interactions with foreign nations.
The popularity of non-interventionism surged after World War I, as many Americans felt disillusioned by the U.S. involvement in what was seen as a European conflict that did not benefit American interests. This sentiment persisted leading into World War II, until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 prompted a decisive shift towards interventionism. In the post-war era, the focus on non-interventionism re-emerged, particularly during the Cold War, but was often contradicted by aggressive U.S. foreign policies aimed at containing communism.
In contemporary times, many Americans express a desire for a return to non-interventionism, particularly in light of ongoing international conflicts; however, opinions vary significantly depending on the context of global events, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted calls for more proactive involvement.
On this Page
American non-interventionism
Non-interventionism is the policy of a nation refusing to intervene in the affairs of other nations without their consent. The policy states that any government has the right to sovereign rule over its own lands. The history of American non-interventionism is long and complicated. Non-interventionism was the primary foreign policy of the first few governments of the United States. However, since then, non-interventionism's popularity as a doctrine has increased and decreased many times. Sometimes, American presidents have even used the doctrine of non-interventionism as justification to invade other nations. Non-interventionism in America was most popular between the end of World War I and the United States' entrance into World War II.
Overview
George Washington, a Founding Father and America's first president, is commonly cited as the country's first advocate for non-interventionism. In his farewell address, Washington urged future presidents to avoid entangling alliances with European nations. He stated that America's national interests did not coincide with Europe's and that America should have open economic relations with as many countries as possible. Thomas Jefferson, another Founding Father and America's third president, likely shared Washington's view.
Non-interventionism was cited as the justification for the Monroe Doctrine, declared in 1823. The Monroe Doctrine stated that the United States would view any attack on a Latin American country as an attack on its own soil and would respond militarily. While the United States did not then have the military might to stop a determined European power, England's support gave this policy real weight. Proponents of the Monroe Doctrine and non-interventionism said that the United States was defending other nations' rights to exercise their sovereignty. However, others claimed that the United States was trying to keep rival powers out of the Americas. Additionally, undertaking this policy required many military and diplomatic interactions with European and Latin American nations, seemingly violating the spirit of non-interventionism.
World War I further reinforced some Americans' belief in non-interventionism. Commonly referred to as "the war to end all wars," it was the largest war Americans had ever been involved in. After the war ended, and this phrase proved false, Americans felt betrayed. They felt they had been tricked into a European war for the sole benefit of Europeans and that countless American soldiers had died for a cause that failed to help Americans. This non-interventionist thought stayed popular with the American public in the years before World War II and kept America out of the early years of World War II. Many popular and influential Americans, including famous pilot Charles Lindberg, thought Americans should have no part in European wars. They attested that America should have open relations with both sides of the war, continue trading with both sides, and remain firmly neutral. It was believed that the superior side would win the war, and Americans would benefit from trading with the victors. However, other Americans believed that the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy) would never stop with Europe. They thought that if the Axis was allowed to conquer Europe, it would then set its sights on the rest of the world. The president at the time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was one of those urging involvement.
Non-interventionist thought, at least in regards to World War II, was crushed on December 7, 1941. Though the United States was still officially neutral in the war, Japan launched a surprise attack on America's fleet in the Pacific, which had been docked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. A declaration of war immediately followed. The Japanese attack was meant to cripple the American navy before America could enter the war. It dealt major damage to the American fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, sinking several ships and causing hundreds of American casualties. It also severely damaged the American non-interventionist movement. Proponents of war said that if America had involved itself in the war earlier, the Japanese would not have been able to surprise the fleet. America then entered World War II, and the history of Pearl Harbor has been used against non-interventionists ever since.
The end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War brought back the style of non-interventionism found in the Monroe Doctrine. The United States would officially support the sovereignty of smaller nations by making sure the Soviet Union could not intervene in its affairs. However, this was just a front for its true goals. In reality, American policy was to stop as many countries as possible from adopting a communist form of government. American foreign policy during the Cold War was, in reality, very interventionist.
After World War II, the popularity of non-interventionism in American foreign policy quickly declined. America was involved in many interventionist wars, including the Vietnam and Korean Wars. It also invaded the Philippines and Iraq twice and had military operations in Libya, Kuwait, and Kosovo. Many twenty-first-century Americans are war-weary and posit that the American government should concentrate on solving domestic problems, leaving international issues to the nations directly involved. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the early 2020s showed this opinion was context-dependent, as some polling data indicated many Americans felt more should be done to help Ukraine in late 2023.
Bibliography
"American Isolationism in the 1930s." United States Department of State, history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/american-isolationism. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Braumoeller, Bear F. "The Myth of American Isolationism." Ohio State University, 10 Nov. 2014, www.braumoeller.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Myth-of-US-Isolationism.pdf.
"Fallen Hero: Charles Lindbergh in the 1940s." PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lindbergh/sfeature/fallen.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
"Invervention and Nonintervention – The Policy Doctrines." Encyclopedia of the New American Nation, Advameg, Inc., 10 Nov. 2014, www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Intervention-and-Nonintervention-The-policy-doctrines.html.
"Overview of the Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941." United States Navy, United States Government, www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/the-pearl-harbor-attack-7-december-1941.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Roscini, Marco, et al. International Law and the Principle of Non-Intervention: History, Theory, and Interactions with Other Principles. Oxford UP, 2024.
Sciabarra, Chris Matthew. "George Washington and the Peril of Foreign Entanglements." History News Network, historynewsnetwork.org/blog/3572. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Telhami, Shibley. "Americans Show Signs of Impatience with Ukraine War." Brookings, 28 Apr 2023, www.brookings.edu/articles/americans-show-signs-of-impatience-with-ukraine-war. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.