Example Of Isolationism To Interventionism: US From The 1890s To The Vietnam War Research Paper

The US is considered today as a world power, dominant in almost all sectors of being a country which calls for great respect. However, the US had actually been similar with other growing nations as it was also conquered by another nation and it had to fight for its independence. It was also not as active as it is seen today as the US had adopted an isolationist or passive stance over issues overseas in the past that had only changed in the 1890s. History showcases that the US had changed this belief in the 1890s as the Spanish-American Conflict of 1898, the Second World War and the Vietnam War had showed the importance for the US to fight for freedom from imperialist conquerors and advocate freedom for all countries.
Before the 1890s, the US was seen by many nations as a second-rate power as it did not make a strong impression in many countries it had allied or made friendships with considering that it had made itself isolated despite the open trading agreements it has with other countries. Turkey, for example, had closed down three foreign embassies, which included the United States, as they cited a high rate of expenses in maintaining these agencies in their territories. In the case of Africa, the US had attended the Berlin Congress of 1884-1885 that would divide the African continent, however, it did not sign the agreement seeing the validity of the Congress despite being friends with Liberia. With the imperialist thought growing with the Europeans, the US was left behind as Asia, Africa and the Pacific became separate under the European powers and Japan (661-662). Nonetheless, while the world saw the US as a second-rate power, a domestic version of imperialism was growing in the country as it began expanding its control throughout the Western Hemisphere and at the same time, intervene in possible attempts of European imperialists from claiming American territories. The country’s stance since the 1890s showcased this American position as Monroe Doctrine became in effect, stating that the Western Hemisphere (North and South America) would be under the Americans and not by others. However, it is also visible that while they believe they are intervening under the Monroe Doctrine against oppressors, they were slowly expanding their control over both the North and South Americas. They negotiated for reclaiming Cuba and Dominican Republic was put into the discussions for annexation, which sadly failed due to the rejection of the Senate. Looking at America’s actions, while they believed that it is their mission to intervene in possible conquests of the Europeans under the Monroe Doctrine, the American government had seen that they can also utilize this capacity to improve its trading agreements but still remain idle in their partner’s domestic affairs (661-662).
However, this idle stance and the expansionism perspective of the Americans had slowly waned as intervention was now becoming a necessity throughout the American nations. The Spanish-American War of 1898 is a testament to the waning isolationist/expansionist stance of the country as the public saw the struggling Cubans suffering from the Spanish policy as they tried to fight for their independence. Spain restricted the Cubans by sending them to detention camps for questioning their authority in the region. The Cubans raised arms in the period and waged a ten year guerrilla war prior to the Cuban revolt in 1868, continuing on to their struggle in 1895.The Americans were demanded to intervene on the issue especially after the February 15, 1898 explosion, especially by the public that destroyed the American battleship Maine in Havana’s main harbor, killing 270 lives. Spain was blamed by the press for the explosion, calling for the nation to repay the damages. However, Spain rejected the demand of the US for cease-fire and enable Cuba’s independence to see through. President McKinley had then ordered his people to prepare for war against Spain, showcasing that America would fight with the Cuban patriots for their freedom, declaring that their struggle is for their freedom and liberty from the Spanish oppressors. America then adopted the Teller Amendment, which stated that it would not annex or dominate Cuba after the Spanish-American War. The conflict between Spain and America continued on up to the Pacific as they also fought in the Philippines and in several areas in the Caribbean. The press had greatly aided the American effort, freeing the Cubans from their Spanish rulers (forcing them to approve the Platt Amendment that would allow the US to intervene militarily when it is required), annexing the Hawaiian Islands and teaching the Philippines. As part of the pact it had with Spain at the end of the war, the US had acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. In this end, America still retained its perception that what they were doing to these freed territories was mostly for their economic benefit and to establish their power in the area (662-666).
While America had showed a strong front on intervening in the Spanish-American War, the sentiment of isolationism returned back after the First World War as America did not accept the failures of Woodrow Wilson’s military and diplomatic fights and his promotion of freedom and democracy. The impact of the First World War to America made it possible for America to be the world’s manufacturing and financial power since it had aided the Europeans for their war efforts (777). The American government had been quite disturbed over the nature of the war and had immediately desired isolation from these foreign battles. The 1935 Neutrality Acts had returned America into the state of isolation, avoiding further conflicts of freedom. By the time the Second World War was brewing, the Americans saw the threat to be pretty minimal and distant. Some even support Hitler’s agenda in the region as it would remove the possible threat the threat of communism. Henry Ford had even made business with the Germans as Germany had given Ford slave labor. Japan was also on ties with the Americans, becoming America’s top buyer of oil. The American Public had even stressed that their involvement in the First World War was a mistake since the Wilson administration had actually helped international bankers and exporters to profit most from the war while the local businesses and financial banks had fell into debt (847-848).
However, it did not take long for the American government to see Hitler’s capacity to threaten the United States as Roosevelt saw that the more Hitler wins in the Second World War, it would be able to reach America eventually. Nonetheless, in 1941, it was visible that America was slowly aligning to those against Germany and Japan despite its earlier reluctance. Roosevelt, who had recently won his third bid to the Presidency, then declared that America would be “the great arsenal of democracy”. FDR had even ordered the freeze of Japanese assets in the US as well as the creation of several funds under the Lend Lease Act to aid the Europeans who are now virtually bankrupt. Eventually, the US had immediately removed its reluctance as the Japanese brought the war to the United States on December 7, 1941 in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Thousands had died in the bombing, immediately getting public support regarding America’s involvement. While the American involvement in the first few months of the war was disastrous, it had managed to overturn the tide as the American fleet was able to counter the Axis powers (849-850). Throughout the war, Roosevelt advocated the fact that the Second World War was the “Good War”, fighting for freedom throughout the planet. Roosevelt even stated that the Four Freedoms – speech, worship, want, and fear – would aid the world in achieving peace and security. America, according to FDR, had also argued that they fought the war similar to how they fought for their own independence and advocated the rights of all men and women (858).
With the Second World War establishing America’s stance in protecting the freedoms of other nations and as a dominant interventionist nation, its stance over the Vietnam War had shook America slightly. Since the removal of the Japanese in 1945, Vietnam had remained under French control as the US had been deeply concentrated on the anticommunism movement. Vietnam was temporarily divided into the north (communist) and the south (anticommunist). The US had urged the southern leader Ngo Dinh Diem to refuse the elections as it would have enabled the communists in Ho Chi Minh to dominate in the elections. Sadly, Diem had faced a massive guerrilla conflict, which then forced America to enter into a war that was in their own working. Americans were not familiar with Vietnamese history and culture, making it difficult for them to understand the situation, relying on counterinsurgency methods and repelling enemy attack. However, as the days progress, America continued to send its troops to the most brutal war in Asia. The public became weary of the losses as the US could not overturn the attacks against the communists, seeing that the system is now applying intervention that advocates military aggression (990-993).
Looking at the three conflicts – Spanish-American War, World War II and the Vietnam War – America’s shift from isolationism to interventionism developed from a passive second-rate power to a nation fighting for liberty and equal rights of all. One can also observe that the US, while it had been expanding its reigns throughout the globe in the name of freedom, it slowly discovered that they should intervene in international wars as it also reflects their history when it had fought for independence against a foreign entity. Sadly, the Vietnamese War had been fatal to the American fight for freedom and liberty for it was unable to change its brutal nature.
Source: Foner, Eric. Give me Liberty! An American history. Volume 2. 3rd Edition. New York: W.W Norton.