AMH ESSAY 2

Intro Briefly state points of essay (3-4 sentences only)

The United States’ involvement in a series of global affairs from the 1940s to the 1970s was an assorted list of measures.

America’s period of attempted isolationism from the rest of the world was short-lived.

The United States entered World War II alongside the Allied Forces, engaged in an uneasy alliance with the Soviets during the Cold War, and implemented policies of containment through doctrines and military interventions.

The U.S. has played a significant role in shaping global history through these actions.

US Entry into World War II

A. Pacific Theater: Japanese actions in Asia, Pearl Harbor (see class lectures)

B. European Theater: US aid to Britain, Nazi actions in Europe, FDR’s Four Freedoms

(see class lectures)

Before the United States’ involvement in World War II, Hitler pursued his plans for world domination despite Britain and France’s attempts at peace.

Italy and Japan, as Axis Powers, supported these efforts, while the extermination of Jews and other targeted individuals took place.

Although the U.S. provided quiet support to Britain through war materials, it was the attack on Pearl Harbor that forced direct involvement.

On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft bombed U.S. Pacific naval bases, killing and injuring many American soldiers.

Additionally, Japan took control of U.S. territories, including Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippines.

Once in the war, the U.S. joined the Allied forces in fighting against Germany. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership, the Four Freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear—became guiding principles for the fight against Axis aggression.

US Entry into the Cold War

A. Uneasy WWII Alliance with Soviets: Why US disagreed with communism,

Teheran and Yalta Summit Meetings (see class lectures)

B. Allies to Enemies: Stalin’s broken promise, Stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe

(see class lectures)

The Cold War followed, marked by tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

During the Teheran Conference, Stalin was granted temporary control over Eastern European nations as part of the strategy to defeat Germany.

At the Yalta Conference, Stalin promised Churchill and Roosevelt that Eastern European nations would govern themselves, but he later broke this promise, establishing communist regimes instead.

This betrayal contributed to an uneasy alliance, as the U.S. and the Soviet Union had fundamentally different political systems.

Stalin’s policies, including his five-year plans, led to widespread famine and suppression of dissent through imprisonment and labor camps.

The U.S. opposed the Soviet model, which restricted freedoms of speech, press, and religion while keeping citizens impoverished under state control.

US Action in the Cold War

A. Containment of Communism: Truman Doctrine, Berlin Airlift, Marshall Plan, Korean War, Domino Theory, Cuban Missile Crisis (see class lectures)

B. Defense of the US: Space race & nuclear race (see class lectures)

The U.S. responded to the growing influence of communism with policies of containment.

The Truman Doctrine was introduced to support free nations resisting communist expansion, aiming to prevent another world war.

The Berlin Airlift of 1947 was a significant demonstration of this policy, as the U.S. flew in food and supplies to West Berlin after the Soviets attempted to blockade the city.

Recognizing the economic devastation in Europe, the U.S. implemented the Marshall Plan to rebuild nations and counteract the spread of communism.

In Asia, the Korean War erupted when North Korea, backed by the Soviets, invaded South Korea.

The U.S., under the UN, intervened to prevent the spread of communism but avoided full-scale liberation to prevent escalating into another world war.

The Domino Theory, introduced by President Eisenhower, suggested that if one nation fell to communism, others would follow, influencing U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 brought the world to the brink of World War III when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba.

President Kennedy responded with an invasion, and after tense negotiations, the crisis ended with the Soviets withdrawing their missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba without provocation.

The fear of nuclear war spurred competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in both weapons technology and space exploration.

The space race occurred from 1957 to 1969. From competing with launching satellites (1957), creating space organizations (1958), to launching a man into space (1961).

The race culminated on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, solidifying U.S. technological superiority and effectively ending the competition due to financial constraints on both sides.

Conclusion

From World War II to the Cold War, the United States engaged in a series of actions that shaped the global order.

Efforts such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan provided economic and military assistance to struggling nations.

The space race demonstrated U.S. scientific achievements, reinforcing its position as a world leader.

Overall, the United States’ entry into global affairs was a complex and significant transformation that defined its role in modern history.