“There is no power that has influenced international politics that much as the United States of America. Their behavior in the whole world, their initiative and achievements, but also their faults and omissions influenced the fate of almost every Nation in the whole world.” 1 The United States of America are the only superpower left after the Cold War. Their power is the result of a historical development. To understand their Foreign Policy it is necessary to have a closer look at their behavior through history. “[As] America has always been a nation of immigrants […] [and] […] started as an experience in democracy
fueled by Europeans” 2 the relations to other countries are multicultural and something special. “The systematic divisions between the United States and Europe on world affairs thus began before 9/11, and even before the arrival of the Bush administration. But the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington vastly accelerated those trends and expanded the gap between the American and European approaches.” Everybody has the horrible pictures of the terror-attacks of September 11th in mind and knows that this has changed the international situation more than ever before. And especially inside Germany the acting of the Unites States was not always seen to be the right thing. But as the United States of America also were the main power to built up Germany after the Second World War, I think its only fair to judge their acting not before having a closer look at their historical behavior in Foreign Policy. And so the central question of my seminar paper is how the behavior of the United States in Foreign
Policy was from 1917 till the end of the Vietnam War and what their different possibilities were. Therefore I will explain at first by which principles Foreign Policy can be guided so that I am able to have a look at different historical events during my seminar paper and try to make a decision whether
this has been an Internationalist, Isolationist, Unilateralist or Multilateralist phase. As the Foreign Policy isn’t guided by being a special phase it will not always be possible to say if it is exact the one or the
other. But I will try to gain a precise view as often as possible.
Table of Contents
I. Explanations
1. Foreign Policy
2. Ways of acting
2.1 Isolationists vs. Internationalists
2.2 Unilateralists vs. Multilateralists
2.3 Idealists vs. Realists as two schools of committed Multilateralists
II. Judgment of important historical events
1. From 1917 – 1939: Between Internationalism and Isolationism
1.1 At the 1st World War
1.2 Reserved Foreign Policy in the 1920ies
1.3 Foreign Policy during the great Depression
2. Entering World Politics (1939 – 1945)
2.1 Before entering the 2nd World War
2.2 Pearl Harbor
2.3 Aim of war and building the alliance
2.4 War in Europe
2.5 Decision in Pacific
2.6 The time after war
3. Confrontation with the Soviet Union (1945 – 1962)
3.1 Setting up the state Israel
3.2 Beginning of the Cold War
3.3 The Korean War
3.4 Success in Europe
3.5 Fortification of the western Alliance
3.6 John F. Kennedy in office
3.7 Cuban Missile Crisis
4. The Vietnam War (1965 – 1973)
4.1 Into Vietnam
4.2 Combat Troops in Vietnam
4.3 Out of Vietnam
4.4 Results of Vietnam
Research Goals and Objectives
This paper examines the historical trajectory of United States foreign policy from 1917 through the end of the Vietnam War. It aims to analyze the shifting behavioral patterns of the U.S. in global affairs and determine the underlying principles—whether isolationist, internationalist, unilateralist, or multilateralist—that guided key historical decisions during this transformative era.
- Analysis of key foreign policy principles and schools of thought.
- Evaluation of U.S. engagement during the First and Second World Wars.
- Assessment of the confrontation with the Soviet Union and the Cold War era.
- Examination of the strategic decision-making process during the Vietnam War.
- Review of the implications of U.S. foreign policy shifts on global relationships and domestic perception.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Foreign Policy
To understand what my seminar paper is about I want to make a few definitions related to Foreign Policy. First of all I want to show some figures that show the real complex field of the commitment of the United States of America in the whole world. For example they have diplomatic relations with over 160 countries, are a member of over 50 international Organizations and they offer development aids in over 80 countries.
I go on with the explanation of Foreign Policy itself. “We can say that Foreign Policy refers to a consistent course of actions followed by one nation to deal with another nation or region, or international issue. This consistent course of actions is usually based on values and interests. Values can for example be democracy or rule of law. Interests are things like defense or expansion of territory. Beside this, many reflect broad national objectives to Foreign Policy or say that it is often based on a specific response to a particular situation.”
To achieve their goals in Foreign Policy a country has different instruments to do so. “A country can achieve its Foreign Policy goals by employing a variety of instruments ranging from political, diplomatic and military to economic, social and cultural.” Foreign Policy is very varying related to its aims as well as its execution. But also the things that influence Foreign Policy vary from “[…] a country’s historical ties to other nations, its culture, type of government, size, geographic location, economic strength, and military power. So the aims of Foreign Policy are preserving or promoting its economic and political interests abroad and its position in the world.”
Summary of Chapters
I. Explanations: Defines the core concepts of foreign policy and the contrasting behavioral frameworks, such as isolationism versus internationalism and unilateralism versus multilateralism.
II. Judgment of important historical events: Analyzes specific milestones in U.S. foreign policy, ranging from the world wars and the Cold War confrontation to the complex military involvement in Vietnam, evaluating each period through the lens of the previously defined behavioral frameworks.
Keywords
Foreign Policy, United States, Isolationism, Internationalism, Unilateralism, Multilateralism, Cold War, Vietnam War, World War I, World War II, Truman Doctrine, Diplomacy, Historical Analysis, Political Strategy, Global Superpower.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this seminar paper?
The paper examines how United States foreign policy evolved from 1917 until the conclusion of the Vietnam War, exploring the distinct behavioral possibilities the U.S. employed during this timeframe.
What are the central thematic categories used to analyze U.S. behavior?
The study utilizes four key conceptual pairs: Isolationists versus Internationalists and Unilateralists versus Multilateralists, with a further subdivision of multilateralists into Idealists and Realists.
What is the primary research question?
The primary question asks how the U.S. behaved in foreign policy between 1917 and the end of the Vietnam War and what the different behavioral possibilities were for the nation.
Which scientific methodology is employed in the study?
The paper employs a qualitative historical analysis, reviewing major international events and categorizing them based on established political science frameworks of state conduct.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the shift from neutrality in the early 20th century, participation in two World Wars, the development of the Cold War and the containment of the Soviet Union, and finally, the escalation and eventual withdrawal from the Vietnam War.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include U.S. Foreign Policy, Isolationism, Internationalism, Cold War, Vietnam War, and the evolution of American global power throughout the 20th century.
How does the author categorize the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War?
The author views the Vietnam War period primarily as an internationalist phase but notes a significant unilateralist touch, as the U.S. often acted alone in its attempts to achieve its mission.
How is the conclusion framed regarding the role of the U.S. as a superpower?
The author concludes that despite certain failures, the U.S. largely fulfilled its role as a great power, particularly in facilitating post-war reconstruction in Europe and standing up for democratic stability.
- Citation du texte
- Julia Mahr (Auteur), 2005, How was the behavior of the US in Foreign Policy from 1917 till the end of the Vietnam War and what are the different possibilities?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/114000
