U.S. Pre-Cold War

Important terms about the political context in which the Cold War began

Monroe Doctrine

Policy established by the U.S. in 1823. It declared that any European colonization or intervention in the Americas would be seen as a threat to US security.

Colossus of the North

Phrase used to signify the greater power of the USA relative to its southern neighbors

protectorate

A country whose foreign affairs and domestic stability are ‘looked after’ by another, more powerful nation

Roosevelt Corollary

A U.S. policy in the early 1900s, asserting the right of the United States to intervene in Latin American countries to maintain stability and protect its economic interests.

“Good neighbor” policy

President FDR’s repudiation of past US use of force in Latin America

Act of Chapultepec

An agreement signed in 1945 by several American countries, including the US, to promote peace and non-intervention in the Western Hemisphere. It aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and prevent foreign interference.