During the 1930s, Americans were overcome with immense financial hardships. Most Americans were proponents of turning inwards to focus on the domestic issues, rather than foreign issues. The U.S. was determined to remain focused on internal issues, even if it meant ignoring the growing fascist empires of Hitler and Mussolini. However, as Mussolini and Hitler became increasingly powerful, American realized that they could no longer look the other way. Americans fear of the growing fascism in Europe forced them to shift from isolationism to internationalism. Ultimately, it was fear of the fascism that triggered the end of American isolationism and started the era of American interventionism.
Following WW1, Americans became very isolationist as
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Americans hoped to remain neutral and avoid war at all cost. Americans created the Kellogg-Briand Pact, as an effort to protect America from the threat of war. “The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, signed by most nations in the world, condemned war and pledged the signatories to settle disputes peacefully. The peace pact would soon be known as a mere “international kiss””(La Feber 347) While this pact was good in theory, it proved to be meaningless. Similarly, the United States crafted the Nine Power Treaty as an attempt to keep an Open Door with China. However when Japan broke the treaty with the invasion of Manchuria, Secretary of State Henry Stimson to notify “both the Imperial Japanese Government and the Government of the Chinese Republic that it cannot admit the legality of any situation de facto nor does it intend to recognize any treaty or agreement entered into between these two governments.” (Document D) Without the threat of war, the Americans were unable to enforce the Nine Power treaty. Furthermore, Congress passed Neutrality Acts from 1935-1937 to kepe American from being dragged into WW2. Americans agreed that they would not,”ship munitions to aid combats and that those of citizens who ship other who ship other materials to the belligerent nations must do so at their own risk and without any hope of the protection of our Government”(Document E) Americans did not want to be dragged into WW2 as they had WW1. However, the growing totalitarianism in Europe threatened American