American Foreign Policy: 1890s to the 1950s

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Isolationism to imperialism
Imperialism to Isolationism
Back to Imperialism
Conclusion
Footnotes

Introduction

Significant shifts in American foreign policy characterized six decades from the 1890s. At different times, the country found itself under circumstances where it had to fight for and safeguard its other interests, including economic, geopolitical, and military. The changes are described using two key terms; isolationism and imperialism. The United States (U.S.) foreign policy was characterized by shifts between internal focus in the 1890s and 1920s-1930s and global involvement in the 1910s, 1940s, and 1950s depending on specific interests and events.

Isolationism to imperialism

At the beginning of 1890, the U.S. was isolated from global events as Great Britain dominated the international stage. The U.S. struggled with local matters, including economic turmoil and social demonstrations that culminated in an economic depression in 1893-94¹. In 1895 and 1898, the country won disputes against Venezuela and Spain, respectively, which established the country as the supreme power in the Western Hemisphere. In the 1910s, U.S. became aggressive in global politics, economy, military engagements. The highlight was in 1917, when the U.S. became a party in World War I (WWI) (1914 – 1918) by joining the League of Nations in fighting and eventually defeating Germany and its allies².

Imperialism to Isolationism

WWI left the U.S. in bad shape as it faced economic uncertainties, causing it to revert to isolationism. At the onset of the 1920s, the government avoided situations that could lead to another war and restricted its global relations to pure commercial dealings. The foreign policy also focused on limiting arms trade and fostering long-standing peace. The rise in economic uncertainties forced the administration to restrict immigration, especially from Asia. Herbert Hoover delivered a speech in 1932³ to underscore the economic challenges of the Great Depression, which limited U.S. actions on the global stage. Despite upheavals across the different parts of the world, the U.S. adopted isolationism, which allowed for the emergence of fascism. During this time the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) built strong military power and could invade other countries to expand their authority. However, the U.S. learned of the German’s plan to develop an atomic bomb⁴, which invoked it to respond.

Back to Imperialism

In 1940, France was defeated by fascist powers, which triggered the U.S. to respond. The country was recovering from the Great Depression and started to participate in global affairs. It mainly supported nations being attacked by the Axis Powers. As a result, Japan attacked the U.S. naval installation at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, marking the onset of World War II (WWII) after the decision was ratified through an executive order⁵. The U.S. had to forge relations with the Soviet Union, and their cooperation led them to emerge victorious against strong Nazi Germany and the Japanese military. At the war’s end, the U.S. stamped its authority on the global stage by championing the establishment of international institutions such as NATO and the United Nations (U.N)⁶. The policy did not please the Soviet Union, which triggered a Cold War between the former collaborators and their allies. Nonetheless, through the 1950s, the U.S. persisted as a global superpower and implemented a containment policy to avert the spread of communism.

Conclusion

Significant shifts in foreign policy from the 1890s to the 1950s characterized U.S. foreign policy. Despite starting as an isolated in the 1890s, events on the global stage sparked a reaction from the country, causing it to adopt imperial policies against enemies. However, at different times the poor state of the local economy derailed its involvement in global affairs. Still, it ultimately managed to rise and work with allies to win WWII and became a superpower that could influence critical decisions worldwide.‌

Footnotes

Daniel Kim, “Alfred T. Mahan’s Geopolitical Threat Perception and Thought of Foreign Policy and Changes on U.S. Foreign Policy in the Early 20th Century,” The Korean Association for Political and Diplomatic History, 44, no. 1 (2022): 5–51. Web.
White Shin, “Transition Theory and the Sino-Japanese War: Japan’s Foreign Policy Objectives towards the Korean Peninsula in the Late 19th Century,” The Korean Association for Political and Diplomatic History, 41, no. 1 (2019): 47–68. Web.
“Address at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The American Presidency Project,” Www.presidency.ucsb.edu, Web.
“Albert Einstein, Letter to President Roosevelt (1939),” Media.pearsoncmg.com. Web.
“Japanese-American Internment During World War II,” National Archives, Web.
Norton Márquez-Grant, Dickson Errickson, Samuel Morgan, Emmanuel Ronner and Ben Giles, “Final thoughts on WWI and WWII Legislation, Recovery, Identification and Burial of Human Remains: Best practice, challenges, and recommendations,” Forensic Science International, 323 (2021): 110767. Web.

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American Foreign Policy: 1890s to the 1950s

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