Foreign Policy Dbq Essay

How does a country be an isolationist, while intervening within other countries? Simple, be the United States. In order to focus on foreign policy from 1920 to 1941 , one must put into consideration the World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II’s emergence. These each took their own toll, and put a massive amount of American’s mindset’s upon the United States best interests, and those interests only. Overall leaving the foreign policy of the United States, focusing upon disarmament, staying out of World War II at ALL costs, and eventually the breakdown of neutrality.

When things are expensive and seem absurd how does one deal with them? In the Washington “Disarmament” Conference from 1921-1922, took on the international

Whereas, in June, 1940, Democrats and Republicans both agreed on not becoming involved within World War II, with reasons possibly linked to the recently passed world war, and depression being recent. An even closer look into the Republican platform was the opposing of war at all costs, and the Democratic platform focusing on the war not coming to America due to America’s strength (Doc. E). This provides America's mindset, but also their pathway to responding to the issues within the European countries as stillness went over the nation in regards of aid. The absence of aid was a result of the foreign policy, which included the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937. These acts stipulated that the nation would have restrictions, if the president declared that a war existed between two foreign nations. In regards to keeping this mindset, propaganda is used throughout the time, and the newspaper Chicago Daily News shows a visual upon their stance of no war involvement at all costs as the signs proclaim, “We will not fight a foreign war for anything” (Doc. G). This viewpoint is very similar to other points of views of Americans like the America First Committee, who believed that America should merely defend itself in these circumstances, and no

This becomes evident in September, 1940, when President Franklin Roosevelt decided to enter into an agreement with the British ambassador (Doc. F). The agreement provided Britain with critical destroyer ships from the United States for eight valuable defense base stations. When President Roosevelt decided to provide Britain with the destroyer ships it indicated a siding with the allies, and will change the mindset of most Americans to ‘all aid short of war” as neutrality was breached. Also, this change of stance came with Britain being the last one standing against Hitler within Europe since people feared the war reaching the Western Hemisphere, if not kept within Europe. In consideration to keeping the war out of America, President Franklin Roosevelt will highlight how ‘we’ must do everything to help the British Empire defend itself (Doc. H). This transfers to America becoming active in its own way, as the scheme of lending or leasing American arms to the democracies within need became an idea. This idea became a bill, and left Americans aiding their British ally by sending a limitless amount of arms to avoid sending American boys, that were implicated as a ‘borrowed’ feature. A feature that relates to the President Roosevelt’s analogy of a fire horse representing what someone needs, and how helping comes first and payment comes