USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

[SOURCES]
Prior to United States entry into both World War I and World War II, United States foreign policy changed from isolationism to involvement mainly because

(A) the United States felt obligated to honor its commitments to its allies

(B) ** United States interests were threatened

(C) the public had elected Presidents who supported expansionism

(D) American manufacturers lobbied for sales to belligerents

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -The need for labor opened up new opportunities for women and African Americans and other minorities. Millions of Americans left home to take jobs in war plants that sprang up around the nation. Economic output skyrocketed. The war effort on the “Home Front” required sacrifices and cooperation.

Concept note-2: -However, the watershed regarding the history of U.S. foreign policy was the shift from isolationism to interventionism after World War II. The turning point was signaled by a series of military activities during and after WWII such as the involvement of the US in WWII and the US intervention in Vietnam.

Concept note-3: -During the 1930s, the combination of the Great Depression and the memory of tragic losses in World War I contributed to pushing American public opinion and policy toward isolationism. Isolationists advocated non-involvement in European and Asian conflicts and non-entanglement in international politics.

Concept note-4: -Isolationism refers to America’s longstanding reluctance to become involved in European alliances and wars. Isolationists held the view that America’s perspective on the world was different from that of European societies and that America could advance the cause of freedom and democracy by means other than war.