US superpower history (1)

Question 1

superpower eras (1890-1990)

Answer 1

• era 1 (1890-1930): US from isolationist/non-expansion > expansionist; little war involvement, only at the end; tried to organise nations from a distance
• era 2 (1930-1950): US moving away from isolationism/neutrality (for BR esp, but other nations); enemy both RU/GE, but RU esp as time goes on
• era 3 (1950-1990): US initial communism/RU hostility fluctuated (determined by Presidents/finance mostly), eventually simmering out post-Vietnam/Reagan

Question 2

era 1 (1890-1930)

• era 1 (1890-1930): US from isolationist/non-expansion > expansionist; little war involvement, only at the end; tried to organise nations from a distance

Answer 2

• monroe doctrine (1823), emphasised industr/west conquer/domestic politics, spanish-american war (1898), paris treaty (1898), hawaii annexation (1898), ‘big stick diplomacy’ (1903), WWI (1914)
• woodrow wilson (1915), W’s LofNs (1917), US warring (1914-1919), versailles treaty (1919), nine-power treaty (1922), young plan (1929), KB pact (1928)

Question 3

era 2 (1930-1950)

• era 2 (1930-1950): US moving away from isolationism/neutrality (for BR esp, but other nations); enemy both RU/GE, but RU esp as time goes on

Answer 3

• post-WWI, roosevelt’s administration foreign policy (1930s)
• european disintegration>war (1936)
• roosevelt/US isolationism in WWII ‘arsenal of democracy’ (1941)
• atlantic charter (1941)
• pearl harbour (1941)
• casablanca conference (1943)
• germany surrender (1945)
• cold war/dominance arms race (1946-1991)
• kennan and truman’s containment era (1947)
• berlin airlift and NATO (1948-49)

Question 4

era 3 (1950-1990)

• era 3 (1950-1990): US initial communism/RU hostility fluctuated (determined by Presidents/finance mostly), eventually simmering out post-Vietnam/Reagan

Answer 4

• deteriorating peace/cold war era (1946-1991)
• domino theory

eisenhower era; ‘space race’/’missile gap’>national defence education act (1958)

• cuban missile crisis (1962)
• kennedy era (1950s-60s)
• vietnam war (1954>1969 trigger)
• nixon’s ‘detente’ era (1960s-70s)
• reagan’s anti-communist era (70s-90s)