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Period: to
Thesis:
During the time period of 1900-1941, the US transitions from isolationism to being heavily involved in global politics, and this shift is reflected in the foreign policy of the US during this period. The US's foreign policy pushed it to be more and more involved in global affairs. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment essentially stated that Cuba was under US control. It prohibited Cuba from making treaties with other nations without US approval and it gave the US the right to intervene with Cuban affairs. The Platt Amendment shows the US's diplomatic stance as the police of Central America during this time period, align with providing an example of the US's imperialistic actions in this time. -
Platt Amendment Repealed
The repeal of the Platt Amendment marked an early part of the US's transition from imperialism to isolationism. By retracting much of its power in some of its territories, the US started to prioritize itself more and more and to move away from ties to other nations and territories. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary was a piece of foreign policy that greatly influenced the US's ever changing diplomatic role. The Roosevelt Corollary asserted the US's right to intervene in Latin American Affair, especially in the case in which a US territory was being threatened by a European country. This changed the US's diplomatic stance because it showed that the US was willing to get involved in world affairs if that's what it would take to maintain their power. -
The Panama Canal
The construction of the Panama Canal lead to a huge increase in American military presence in Latin America, which would help lead to the Roosevelt Corollary. The building of the Panama Canal provides an example of the US's strange diplomatic relations with Central America. The US encouraged a Panamanian revolution to build this canal, and it showed the US's growing ties between their economic wants and their diplomacy. -
Wilson's Fouteen Points
Wilson came up his Fourteen Points at the end of WWI, which was an attempt to ensure world peace. The US has been drifting further from its isolationist foreign policy, and upon its entry into WWI, the US got more involved in its relationships with other countries. Wilson's Fourteen Points even included an idea for an international peace -ensuring organization called the League of Nations, and the that this was proposed by an American makes the change in US diplomacy obvious. -
Treaty of Versailles
The US refusing to sign the Treaty of Versailles is an excellent example of their growing isolationist policies. The US refused to sign mostly because of the League of Nations, despite the fact that it was the US President who came up with the League of Nations, the rest of the government agreed that the US should not be so involved in global diplomacy. -
The Washington Conference
A naval arms race had been developing around the world, and was increasing tensions everywhere. The US held his conference hoping to limit everyone's naval expansion and to relieve some of this tension. This conference went against many of the isolationist tendencies of the US after WWI, and it put the US back in the role of the diplomatic police man, looking to ensure peace. -
Kellogg-Braind Pact
The Kellogg-Braind Pact essentially outlawed war that was not defensive in attempt to prevent expansionist aggressive behavior. This again shows the diplomatic role of the US as a sort of police man or guardian of peace. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act
The tariff had been raised to be a sort of protective tariff, and the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act soon followed. This act is a prime example of how the US was driven away from isolationism by economic desire. This act gave the President the ability to made trade agreements with favorable nations to lower the tariff and receive trade benefits in return. This is a very clear step towards establishing relationships with certain countries and "picking favorites" in terms of diplomacy. -
Neutrality Act of 1935
This neutrality act, along with others, was passed in anticipation of WWII breaking out in Europe. This act prohibited US businesses from selling arms to any foreign nation at war. This was a big step for the US in terms of establishing isolationist diplomacy. The US was making it very clear that they wanted no part in the war. -
Neutrality Act of 1937
This Neutrality Act forbade US citizens from traveling on belligerent ships, it forbade US merchant ships form delivering arms to belligerent nations, even if they were not made in the US, and it gave the President the authority to ban any belligerent ships from US waters. This aided the rise of isolationist views in regard to the war and pushed US diplomacy closer towards isolationism. -
Neutrality Act of 1939
Within this Neutrality Act there was a "cash and carry" clause. This stated that the US would sell arms to foreign nations at war if the nation paid up front and came and got their arms themselves. This defied the US's isolationist ideas and pushed them towards getting involved in the war. -
Lend Lease Act
The Lend Lease Act gave the US the ability to provide military aid to nations whose defense it deemed vital to the US. This got the US directly involved in supporting Britain through the war, with the expectation that of course the US would be paid back later. This Act was an end to US isolationist tendencies and directly involved them in the war, even though they were not officially a part of it yet. -
Atlantic Charter Conference
This conference established the US's war aims, even though they were not yet a part of the war. This showed that the US was done being the one to intervene occasionally and try to maintain peace, but rather that it was willing to do something as drastic as joining the war effort to push its goals forward, which completely changed their diplomatic role. -
US Enters WWII
The US entering WWII is the official end to any sort of isolationism in US diplomacy. From this point onward the US is heavily involved in global affairs, a trend that still can be seen today.
