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Questions and Answers
What event in 1915 significantly worsened U.S.-German relations?
What event in 1915 significantly worsened U.S.-German relations?
- The interception of the Zimmermann telegram
- The initiation of unrestricted submarine warfare
- The sinking of the Lusitania (correct)
- The declaration of war on Germany
Which proposal did Germany make to Mexico in the Zimmermann telegram?
Which proposal did Germany make to Mexico in the Zimmermann telegram?
- Assistance in reclaiming lost territories from the U.S. (correct)
- A peace treaty with the United States
- Financial support for Mexico's military expansion
- An alliance to invade Canada
Who was the President of the United States during its entry into World War I?
Who was the President of the United States during its entry into World War I?
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Herbert Hoover
- Woodrow Wilson (correct)
- Warren G. Harding
What was included in President Wilson's Fourteen Points?
What was included in President Wilson's Fourteen Points?
What was the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany?
What was the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany?
How many American soldiers were deployed in Europe by the end of World War I?
How many American soldiers were deployed in Europe by the end of World War I?
Why did the U.S. Senate ratify the Treaty of Versailles in 1921?
Why did the U.S. Senate ratify the Treaty of Versailles in 1921?
What was a key reason for the U.S. intervention in Russia from 1918 to 1920?
What was a key reason for the U.S. intervention in Russia from 1918 to 1920?
What event marked the end of World War II in Europe?
What event marked the end of World War II in Europe?
Which two cities were bombed during the attacks that led to Japan's surrender?
Which two cities were bombed during the attacks that led to Japan's surrender?
What is the primary focus of counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan?
What is the primary focus of counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan?
What significant document was signed by 51 states in 1945?
What significant document was signed by 51 states in 1945?
What is a significant danger of using historical analogies in foreign policy?
What is a significant danger of using historical analogies in foreign policy?
What was the primary aim of the Truman Doctrine issued in 1947?
What was the primary aim of the Truman Doctrine issued in 1947?
Which policy aimed to limit the influence and expansion of the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War?
Which policy aimed to limit the influence and expansion of the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War?
What cognitive bias might result from an overemphasis on visible past events in policymaking?
What cognitive bias might result from an overemphasis on visible past events in policymaking?
Which military alliance was formed in 1949 as a response to the growing threat of the U.S.S.R.?
Which military alliance was formed in 1949 as a response to the growing threat of the U.S.S.R.?
What can happen due to overgeneralization of lessons from past conflicts?
What can happen due to overgeneralization of lessons from past conflicts?
In the context of Afghanistan, what tribal and ethnic divisions must be understood to avoid conflict?
In the context of Afghanistan, what tribal and ethnic divisions must be understood to avoid conflict?
What major event triggered United Nations intervention in the Korean War?
What major event triggered United Nations intervention in the Korean War?
How many American casualties were reported during World War II?
How many American casualties were reported during World War II?
What factor contributed to the Trump administration's misread of the situation in Venezuela?
What factor contributed to the Trump administration's misread of the situation in Venezuela?
What lesson can be drawn regarding U.S. foreign policy from historical precedents?
What lesson can be drawn regarding U.S. foreign policy from historical precedents?
What approach did Obama take in response to human rights violations in Venezuela?
What approach did Obama take in response to human rights violations in Venezuela?
What was a significant misstep in Trump’s handling of Venezuela?
What was a significant misstep in Trump’s handling of Venezuela?
What does the Bay of Pigs invasion illustrate in the context of U.S. intervention?
What does the Bay of Pigs invasion illustrate in the context of U.S. intervention?
What common theme is evident in U.S.-Cuban and U.S.-Venezuelan relations?
What common theme is evident in U.S.-Cuban and U.S.-Venezuelan relations?
What factor did policymakers overlook when considering foreign intervention strategies?
What factor did policymakers overlook when considering foreign intervention strategies?
How did U.S. foreign policy misjudge the role of military forces in Venezuela?
How did U.S. foreign policy misjudge the role of military forces in Venezuela?
What was the primary purpose of the Washington Naval Conference held between 1921 and 1922?
What was the primary purpose of the Washington Naval Conference held between 1921 and 1922?
What was a significant consequence of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff enacted in 1930?
What was a significant consequence of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff enacted in 1930?
What was the main goal of the Good Neighbor Policy promoted by Franklin D. Roosevelt?
What was the main goal of the Good Neighbor Policy promoted by Franklin D. Roosevelt?
What did the Atlantic Charter, signed by Roosevelt and Churchill in August 1941, outline?
What did the Atlantic Charter, signed by Roosevelt and Churchill in August 1941, outline?
What was one objective the U.S. pursued during the Second World War?
What was one objective the U.S. pursued during the Second World War?
What event prompted the U.S. to declare war on Japan in December 1941?
What event prompted the U.S. to declare war on Japan in December 1941?
What series of acts did Congress pass in the 1930s to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts?
What series of acts did Congress pass in the 1930s to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts?
What was a result of the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Haiti?
What was a result of the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Haiti?
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Study Notes
U.S. Foreign Policy: From WWI to the 1950s
-
WWI (1914-1918):
- U.S. initially neutral, but leaned towards Britain.
- 1915: German submarine sunk passenger ship Lusitania, killing 128 Americans.
- 1917: Germany introduced unrestricted submarine warfare, threatening any ships near Britain.
- February 1917: U.S. broke diplomatic ties with Germany.
- February 1917: Zimmermann Telegram intercepted, Germany proposed alliance with Mexico to reclaim lost territory.
- April 1917: U.S. declared war on Germany.
- By war's end: 2 million American soldiers in Europe.
- January 1918: President Wilson's Fourteen Points speech:
- Idealistic vision for postwar world, including League of Nations.
- Open peace covenants, removal of trade tariffs, reduced arms, end of colonialism.
-
The Interwar Years (1919-1939):
- Treaty of Versailles (1919):
- Punished and weakened Germany.
- Established Weimar Republic.
- Germany assigned $33 billion in reparations and lost colonial possessions.
- U.S. Senate ratified the treaty (1921) after removing League of Nations articles.
- 1918-1920: U.S. intervened in Russia to support anti-Bolshevik forces.
- 1920s:
- U.S. focused on foreign trade, investment, arms control, and disarmament.
- Washington Naval Conference (1921-1922): Limited battleship construction for ten years.
- Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): 62 nations renounced war as policy but lacked enforcement.
- U.S. Occupations:
- Dominican Republic (1916-1924),
- Nicaragua (1912-1925, 1926-1933),
- Haiti (1915-1934)
- All occupations were to protect American interests.
- 1929: Great Depression led to plummeting international trade.
- 1930: Smoot-Hawley Tariff implemented, triggering tariff wars.
- 1933:
- President Roosevelt slashed tariffs and recognized Soviet Union.
- Good Neighbor Policy towards Latin America: Resisting force to protect U.S. business.
- Roosevelt supported appeasement of Nazi Germany (failed).
- 1935-1937: Congress passed Neutrality Acts to keep U.S. out of foreign conflicts.
- 1940s: U.S. Navy enforced 300-mile neutrality zone along American coasts.
- Treaty of Versailles (1919):
-
WWII (1939-1945):
- June 1940: German invasion of France brought Britain and U.S. closer.
- March 1941: Congress approved Lend-Lease Program, allowing arms to nations vital to U.S. security.
- 1940: Roosevelt introduced the first peacetime draft in U.S. history.
- August 1941: Atlantic Charter signed with British PM Winston Churchill, outlining war objectives.
- July 1941: Trade with Japan halted after they sent forces into French Indochina.
- December 7, 1941: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
- December 8, 1941: U.S. declared war on Japan; Germany declared war on the U.S. three days later.
- U.S. War Objectives:
- Maintain Grand Alliance with Britain and USSR.
- Win war in Europe first.
- Achieve complete victory with unconditional surrender.
- Strained Alliance: Britain and U.S. delays in invading Europe.
- May 7, 1945: Germany surrendered unconditionally.
- August 14, 1945: Japan surrendered unconditionally after atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- Total Casualties:
- U.S.: ~418,500
- Total: Over 70 million
The 1940s: Postwar Realities
- American Foreign Policy Shift:
- Realist, interventionist, and multilateralist during WWII.
- Postwar Planning:
- Conferences to establish postwar order.
- 1944: Bretton Woods Conference, established International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
- 1945: United Nations Charter signed in San Francisco by 51 states.
- Conferences to establish postwar order.
- Postwar Trials:
- Nuremberg and Tokyo trials from 1945 to 1948 for German and Japanese war criminals.
- Germany and Japan:
- U.S., Britain, and France merged their occupation zones in Germany, creating West Germany (1949).
- West Germany and Japan disarmed and had democratic institutions imposed.
- U.S.-Soviet Tensions:
- No agreement on Eastern Europe's future.
- Confrontations over Iran and Turkey, and Greek communist insurgency.
- 1947: Truman Doctrine announced: Supporting free peoples resisting subjugation.
- 1948: Marshall Plan began to provide billions of dollars for European reconstruction.
- Truman adopted containment policy towards USSR to change Soviet policies or break up the Soviet Union.
- 1948-1949: Soviet blockade of West Berlin; U.S. airlifted supplies for a year.
- 1949:
- Communists won Chinese civil war.
- USSR developed nuclear weapons.
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed.
The Korean War (1950-1953)
- North Korea invaded South Korea, sparking a U.N. intervention.
- U.S. successfully drove out North Korean forces.
- China intervened militarily when the U.S. invaded North Korea.
- Over 34,000 U.S. troops killed.
The 1950s
- Dwight Eisenhower administration:
- Created regional alliances to contain the USSR.
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