American Foreign Policy in World War II

Foreign Policy

As we approach the next Presidential election the topic of American foreign policy is once again in the spotlight. In this paper, I will examine four major objectives of U.S. foreign policy that have persisted throughout the twentieth century and will discuss the effect of each on our nation’s recent history, with particular focus on key leaders who espoused each objective at various times. In addition, I will relate the effects of American foreign policy objectives, with special attention to their impact on the American middle class. Most importantly, this paper will discuss America’s involvement in WWI, WWII, and the Cold War to the anticipated fulfillment of these objectives—democracy, manifest destiny, humanitarianism, and economic expansion.

To understand the United States’ involvement in these wars, we must first be aware of the role each of these policies plays within our nation and the importance of these four objectives to the American people. Democracy, which is the classic liberal political tradition, ensures the right of the people to determine their own government and is the foundation upon which our nation was founded. Manifest Destiny is defined as the responsibility to work to living in social harmony, or the belief that the U.S. is to show everyone how to live best in mutual striving and social harmony. Humanitarianism is described as the doctrine of ethics and humility toward the welfare of mankind worldwide. Economic expansion refers to increasing the American market overseas, which in turn guarantees jobs for the American middle class. These four objectives have been key factors in the defining and shaping of our country throughout its history, and they continue to influence our nation on the global spectrum as we enter the 21st century.

The U.S.’ involvement in World Wars I and II did not occur immediately following the beginning of the wars. Rather, in WWI, President Wilson, who had built his re-election campaign around the slogan, “he kept us out of war,'; entered the U.S. into WWI shortly after his re-election. Although Wilson had not specifically promised to keep the country out of war, he declared that only a negotiated “peace without victory'; would prove durable (Bailey, 722). Unfortun...

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...thin the Marshall Plan, all four foreign policies are addressed with special concentration on manifest destiny in order that we might assist European governments. Upon the rebuilding of Europe, the U.S. was once again able to expand its economic markets.

In closing, I will discuss the importance of these four major foreign policy objectives as they apply to the middle class. Since the closing of the 19th century the middle class has emerged into the largest class in our society. With the four previously discussed policies, or ideals in place, the middle class would improve and become stronger, which it has. Otherwise, without protection of U.S. foreign policy, our nations economy and power would deflate, sinking the middle class to becoming a poor working class. Fortunately, our nations leaders sought to protect and uphold foreign policy through out the decades, and as a result turned our society into one built on the foundations of the middle class. Emphasizing diligence in work and in savings, daily life lived on a strong moral basis, and education as the key to economic success, which has emerged into the cornerstone of the U.S. and its people through out the twentieth century.