Unit 7: Topic 11 - Interwar Foreign Policy

Question 1

Why did the US enter an era of isolationism after the end of World War I?

Answer 1

After World War I, the US wanted to limit engagement with Europe by practicing isolationism. President Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) ran his campaign on a desire to heal the US, “return to normalcy”, and restore nationality. Still, the US engaged with the world by:
- having colonies/territories overseas
- having the desire to increase trade
- attempting to limit future wars through mediation and treaties.

Question 2

How did US isolationism after World War I affect tariffs?

Answer 2

Changes in tariffs as a consequence of US isolationism:

• Greater taxes on imported goods
• Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922): Raised tariffs dramatically and authorized the president to raise or lower a given tariff rate by 50% to even out foreign and domestic production costs
• Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act (1930): Increased tariffs on imports to the US by 20%. Other countries responded by increasing their own tariffs on American goods.

Question 3

What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)?

Answer 3

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): 63 nations, including the US, tried to renounce war. However, the Pact was signed outside the authority of the League of Nations and was impossible to enforce.

Question 4

What was the Good Neighbor Policy (1933) under President Franklin Roosevelt?

Answer 4

The Good Neighbor Policy’s main principle was that of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America. It also reinforced the idea that the United States would be a “good neighbor” and engage in reciprocal exchanges with Latin American countries. Overall, the Roosevelt administration expected that this new policy would create new economic opportunities in the form of reciprocal trade agreements and reassert the influence of the United States in Latin America.

Question 5

What was the Dawes Plan (1924)?

Answer 5

The Dawes Plan was a plan to revive the German economy where US banks made loans to Germany, and Germany used that money to pay reparations to England and France. England and France used money from Germany to repay American banks for WWI loans, and this whole cycle repeated itself.

Question 6

What is totalitarianism, and who were the major totalitarian leaders of WWII?

Answer 6

Totalitarianism: A system of the dictatorial government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens. Four leaders that practiced this system of government before World War II include:

• Germany’s elected fascist leader Adolf Hitler
• Italy’s Prime Minister Benito Mussolini
• Soviet Union’s (USSR) Dictator Joseph Stalin
• Japan’s Prime Minister Tojo/Emperor Hirohito

Question 7

Did the US initially act on the rise of dictators and their militaries in Germany, Italy, the USSR, and Japan?

Answer 7

Although the United States was nervous about the rise of dictators and their militaries, most people continued to support isolationism. This was true even though the late 1930s when Germany occupied the Rhineland, Japan invaded China, and Germany invaded Poland to ultimately start World War II.

Question 8

What were the two main viewpoints of American policy makers on World War II?

Answer 8

1. Isolationists: Maintain neutrality
   - Despite US involvement in World War I, it was still difficult to practice democracy, so starting another war wasn’t favorable.
   - Nye Committee: As part of the Senate, the Nye Committee presented evidence that American corporations had profited from U.S. involvement in WWI, suggesting that the push for war was actually about money.
   - The Atlantic Ocean is far from Europe, so the US has a buffer.
2. Interventionists: It’s foolish to isolate the US from European developments.
   - The size of the Atlantic Ocean as a buffer was no longer arguable in the age of submarine warfare and airplanes.
   - If Britain is defeated, nothing will stop Hitler and the Nazis from bringing the war to America.

Question 9

What was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) attitude towards World War II?

Answer 9

President FDR’s attitude towards World War II :

• The US should practice isolationism but intervene in certain cases
• Deep sympathy for Britain’s cause and thought that U.S. involvement in the war was proper, but he didn’t have the support from the largely isolationist American public
• Gradually gave aid to the Allies, such as Britain
• Neutrality Acts: A series of Congressional bills that made it difficult for the US to trade with nations involved in the war to avoid similar economic entanglements to WWI. FDR initially opposed them, but later supported the Neutrality Acts when the Cash-and-Carry Program was enacted.

Question 10

What did the US do to help Britain in World War II?

Answer 10

• Cash and Carry Program: FDR persuaded Congress to pass a looser Neutrality Act that allowed anyone engaged in World War II to purchase war materials from the US as long as they paid cash and used their own ships to transport them. This aided Britain as they mainly controlled the seas.
• Destroyers for Bases Program: Through this deal, the US transferred destroyers to the British Navy in exchange for leases for British naval and air bases. This helped Britain when they were low on cash.
• Lend-Lease Act: Allowed Britain to obtain the arms they needed from the US on credit.

Question 11

How did the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor lead the US to enter World War II?

Answer 11

Pearl Harbor was the site of the surprise attack on the US by Japan in 1941. Although the U.S. was participating in an embargo on strategic materials that prevented trade with Japan, they were still technically neutral in WWII.

Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans were reluctant to become involved in WWII. This changed when the US declared war on Japan, and in return, Germany declared war on the U.S., fully bringing the country into World War II.