Essay test - foreign policy

To what extent have the concepts/mindsets of isolationism, internationalism, and exceptionalism driven U.S. policy? Choose specific examples to support each of these concepts. 

US first neutrality act, big 3 meet in Tehran, US age of imperialism

isolationism - US first neutrality act

1935, US didn’t give any country at war supplies or money, protected people of US, US only thought of themselves this period of isolationism only lasts until attack on Pearl harbor

internationalism - big 3 meet in Tehran

1943, SU, UK, US met in Tehran during WWII, formed plan to invade Nazi-occupied western Europe, worked with lots of allies, mindset of wanting to help the world stay with US, Korean war, tried to help south invade north (SU ruled) to help unite Korea, stop spread of communism and get an ally, Vietnam war, stop spread of communism

exceptionalism - US age of imperialism

US colonized Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, thought it was their duty to civilize them, ruined native poeple education system, taught only in english and of US traditions, created power dynamic between races, used the native people as things, this idea was here when US expanded across US and even now in the form of racism

How can you explain discontinuity in policy?

Europe declares war on Germany, battle of Stalingrad, Gorbachev abolishing communism in SU

europe declares war on germany

turning point in US warfare, 1939, germany invades poland, US starts by freezing the axis powers assets, officially getting involved in 1941, more technological warfare, atomic bombs, plus more rights of minority communities, US is able to have more allies

battle of stalingrad

turning point in WWII, 1942, battle between germany and SU, allied powers win, very bloody war, leads to the recaputre of Berlin by allied powers, germany starts losing land and hope of hitler

Gorbachev abolishing communism in Soviet Union

turns the tide of the Soviet union and communism in the world, august 1991, one of many things that led to fall of SU, government had no guide to making decisions bc main party was gone, led to a new and ineffective government, Gorbachev losing power to Yeltsin, countries under SU started gaining independence since government wasn’t powerful enough to stop them