Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations (2024)

Milestones: 1921–1936

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Introduction

The Great Depression of the 1930s was a global event that derived in part from events in the United States and U.S. financial policies. As it lingered through the decade, it influenced U.S. foreign policies in such a way that the United States Government became even more isolationist.

Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations (1)

Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother

The origins of the Great Depression were complicated and have been much debated among scholars. The initial factor was the First World War, which upset international balances of power and caused a dramatic shock to the global financial system. The gold standard, which had long served as the basis for national currencies and their exchange rates, had to be temporarily suspended in order to recover from the costs of the Great War, but the United States, European nations, and Japan put forth great effort to reestablish it by the end of the decade. However, this introduced inflexibility into domestic and international financial markets, which meant that they were less able to deal with additional shocks when they came in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The U.S. stock market crash of 1929, an economic downturn in Germany, and financial difficulties in France and Great Britain all coincided to cause a global financial crisis. Dedication to the gold standard in each of these nations and Japan, which only managed to return to it in 1930, only made the problem worse and hastened the slide into what is now known as the Great Depression.

The International Depression

The key factor in turning national economic difficulties into worldwide Depression seems to have been a lack of international coordination as most governments and financial institutions turned inwards. Great Britain, which had long underwritten the global financial system and had led the return to the gold standard, was unable to play its former role and became the first to drop off the standard in 1931. The United States, preoccupied with its own economic difficulties, did not step in to replace Great Britain as the creditor of last resort and dropped off the gold standard in 1933. At the London Economic Conference in 1933, leaders of the world’s main economies met to resolve the economic crisis, but failed to reach any major collective agreements. As a result, the Depression dragged on through the rest of the 1930s.

Isolationism

The Depression caused the United States to retreat further into its post-World War I isolationism. A series of international incidents occurred during the 1930s—the Japanese seizure of northeast China in 1931, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, and German expansionism in Central and Eastern Europe—but the United States did not take any major action in response or opposition. When these and other incidents occurred, the United States Government issued statements of disapproval but took limited action beyond that. On a more positive note, isolationism manifested in Latin America in the form of the Good Neighbor Policy of Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt, under which the United States reduced its military presence in the region and improved relations between itself and its neighbors to the south. Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt were to an extent constrained by public opinion, which demanded that primary attention be given to domestic problems. The Hoover and Roosevelt Administrations concentrated upon rebuilding the U.S. economy and dealing with widespread unemployment and social dislocation at home and as a result international affairs took a back seat.

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President Herbert Hoover

Rise of Fascism

As the United States turned inwards to deal with the lingering effects of the Depression, militaristic regimes came to power in Germany, Italy, and Japan promising economic relief and national expansion. While they achieved some measure of success on the economic front, these regimes began to push their territorial ambitions and received minimal opposition from the rest of the world. The lack of a strong U.S. response to Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 and Germany’s annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 encouraged the Japanese and German governments to enlarge their military campaigns. At the time, most U.S. leaders believed their decision to avoid a more active role was justified because of the domestic context, but some began to realize that U.S. inaction allowed the conflict to grow. After the fall of France in June 1940, the United States increasingly committed itself to the fight against fascism. Ironically, it was World War II, which had arisen in part out of the Great Depression, that finally pulled the United States out of its decade-long economic crisis.

The Great Depression caused the United States Government to pull back from major international involvement during the 1930s, but in the long run it contributed to the emergence of the United States as a world leader thereafter. The perception that the turn inwards had in some part contributed to perpetuating the horrors of World War II caused U.S. foreign policy makers to play a major role in world affairs after the war in order to avert similar disasters.

Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations (2024)

FAQs

What happened to the milestones in the history of US foreign relations? ›

“Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations” has been retired and is no longer maintained.

What are the four main goals of American foreign policy? ›

Protect the United States and Americans; Advance democracy, human rights, and other global interests; Promote international understanding of American values and policies; and. Support U.S. diplomats, government officials, and all other personnel at home and abroad who make these goals a reality.

How did the US participate in foreign affairs in the early 19th century? ›

President James Monroe's Administration arranged the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 and the Convention of 1818, which settled disputes with Great Britain over the Great Lakes and the border with Canada westward along the 49th parallel to the Rocky Mountains, and the Adams-Onis (or Transcontinental) Treaty with Spain ( ...

What foreign policy did the United States following for most of American history up to World War II? ›

During the 1930s, the combination of the Great Depression and the memory of tragic losses in World War I contributed to pushing American public opinion and policy toward isolationism. Isolationists advocated non-involvement in European and Asian conflicts and non-entanglement in international politics.

What were the main diplomatic concerns discussed in the lesson "What foreign policies were essential for the American victory"? ›

Answer & Explanation. The main diplomatic concerns discussed were the importance of the French alliance and the need to keep the British from entering the war. American foreign policy was essential for the victory, as it helped to keep the British from entering the war and to secure the French alliance.

What are the milestone documents in world history? ›

Among the documents included in the set are iconic legal and constitutional documents such as the Code of Hammurabi, Magna Carta, Meiji Constitution, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union; famous treatises such as the Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," the Communist Manifesto, and Osama bin Laden's Declaration of ...

What are the four main goals of American foreign policy quizlet? ›

The primary goal of American foreign policy is national security. Another important goal is international trade. A third goal is promoting world peace. A fourth goal of foreign policy is to promote democracy around the world.

What are the 4 points of foreign policy? ›

However, the guiding principles of U.S. foreign policy remain constant: promotion of security, democracy, prosperity, and development in the United States and around the world.

What are the 4 economic goals of US foreign policy? ›

Expanding employment in the United States, maintaining access to foreign energy supplies, promoting foreign investment in the United States, and lowering prices for American consumers are all aims of American foreign economic policy.

When has the US gotten involved in foreign affairs? ›

Historical overview. The main trend regarding the history of U.S. foreign policy since the American Revolution is the shift from non-interventionism before and after World War I, to its growth as a world power and global hegemon during World War II and throughout the Cold War in the 20th century.

What role did the United States play in foreign affairs in the 1920s? ›

During the 1920s, the United States strongly resisted binding international commitments and focused instead on preventing the outbreak of war.

How did American foreign policy change during the 1900s? ›

In just over a decade, the United States had redefined its national and international interests to include a large overseas military presence, overseas possessions, and direct engagement in setting priorities in international affairs.

What foreign policy did America initially adopt? ›

Beginning with George Washington's presidency, the United States sought a policy of isolationism and neutrality with regards to the internal affairs of other nations.

What is America first in foreign policy? ›

America First refers to a populist political theory in the United States that emphasizes the fundamental notion of "putting America first", which generally involves disregarding global affairs and focusing solely on domestic policy in the United States.

What was the US foreign policy in which the US tried to stop the spread of communism? ›

Overview. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman pledged that the United States would help any nation resist communism in order to prevent its spread. His policy of containment is known as the Truman Doctrine.

What were the key changes in American foreign policy from the 1890s to the 1950s? ›

There were three key changes in US foreign policy from the 1890s to the 1950s. Firstly, the US became more involved in world affairs. Secondly, the US changed from a policy of isolationism to one of containment. Lastly, the US became a world leader.

How did US foreign policy change after the Cold War? ›

As the Cold War ended with the fragmentation of the Soviet Union, the United States remained as the sole superpower. The policy of containment was no longer necessary because the spread of communism had slowed to the point where it was no longer a threat to capitalist, democratic nations.

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