In the last 250 years the USA has been involved in more than twenty wars. The reasons for the American interventions in those wars were quite different.
The involvement in the Barbary Wars which lasted from 1801 until 1805 was caused by the fact that the pasha of Tripoli wanted to blackmail the United States. The USA had to decide whether they wanted to be protected from pirate attacks or not. President Thomas Jefferson saw only one opportunity and this was fighting against Tripoli.1 The Mexican-American War, which took place from 1846 until 1848, was another war fought by the Americans. During that time the extension of the American territory was the main aim of the American President James K. Polk. The war grew out of an argument between the Mexicans and the Americans, because the USA shifted the border between those two states in the Mexican's disfavor. After the outburst of the war it took two years until the Mexicans had to give up, facing a great loss of territory.
Another example is the Vietnam War which lasted from 1961 until 1975. The United States believed that their duty was to stop the advance of communism. The plan of President John F. Kennedy was to help the population of South Vietnam to get rid of the Vietcong guerrilla.After North Vietnam has attacked American warships, President Lyndon B. Johnson managed to get the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution accepted by the Congress. Soon after this, the USA declared the civil war in South Vietnam as a war of the United States against the communistic North Vietnam.
All in all it is obvious that the reasons for the American involvements in those wars are very different and strongly linked to the incidents in those times and the decisions of the American Presidents.
In the following I am going to take a closer look at two different wars in which the United States of America were involved in. I am going to direct my attention to the American President's role in this time and his impact on certain decisions and on the war itself.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- I. American wars
- II. President Woodrow Wilson - His policy during the First World War
- 1. President Wilson's neutrality and his exertion for being a neutral mediator
- 2. First cracks in the American - German relation
- 3. President Wilson's vision of world peace
- 4. President Wilson being forced to join the war
- 5. President Wilson's "Fourteen Points"
- 6. President Wilson - American idealist and fighter for democracy, peace and liberty
- III. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt - His policy during the Second World War
- 1. President Roosevelt's concentration on national politics during the Great Depression
- 2. President Roosevelt's struggle with the American "Neutrality Acts"
- 3. President Roosevelt's support of the European Allies
- 3.1. President Roosevelt - A fighter for the "Cash-and-Carry Clause"
- 3.2. President Roosevelt's wish for peace - The "Arsenal of Democracy"
- 3.3. President Roosevelt's support of Great Britain - The "Lend-Lease Act"
- 4. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the American entrance in the Second World War.
- 5. President Roosevelt - Strategist and fighter for democracy
- IV. President Wilson's and President Roosevelt's intentions
- V. Supplement
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to examine the roles of President Woodrow Wilson and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the First and Second World Wars, respectively. The analysis focuses on their policies, motivations, and impact on the course of these global conflicts. Key themes explored in the paper include:- American neutrality and its challenges in a world at war
- The evolving relationship between the United States and European powers during the early 20th century
- The influence of domestic politics on American foreign policy decisions
- President Wilson's vision for a lasting peace and his "Fourteen Points"
- President Roosevelt's efforts to support the Allied cause and his role in the rise of the "Arsenal of Democracy"
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
I. American wars
This chapter provides an overview of American involvement in various wars throughout history, highlighting key examples such as the Barbary Wars, the Mexican-American War, and the Vietnam War. It emphasizes the diverse motivations behind these conflicts, ranging from protection against piracy to territorial expansion and the fight against communism.II. President Woodrow Wilson - His policy during the First World War
This chapter focuses on President Wilson's policy during the First World War, emphasizing his initial commitment to neutrality and his attempts to act as a mediator between the warring European nations. It explores the challenges to his neutrality posed by the German submarine warfare and the sinking of the Lusitania.III. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt - His policy during the Second World War
This chapter analyzes President Roosevelt's actions during the Second World War, tracing his evolution from a proponent of neutrality to a strong supporter of the Allied cause. It examines his efforts to navigate the complexities of the "Neutrality Acts" and his contributions to the "Cash-and-Carry Clause" and the "Lend-Lease Act".Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The core concepts explored in this paper encompass American foreign policy, neutrality, mediation, diplomacy, international relations, the First World War, the Second World War, President Woodrow Wilson, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "Fourteen Points", the "Arsenal of Democracy", "Cash-and-Carry Clause", "Lend-Lease Act", and the challenges of maintaining neutrality in a global conflict.- Quote paper
- Stefanie Wunder (Author), 2010, American War Presidents , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/176184
