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PLS 341: American Foreign Policy Foreign Policy The Transition Period (1866-1941)
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2 / 26 Thus Far… Chittick created a framework with which we can analyze and better understand foreign policies. M/M: –Multilateral/Unilateral C/C: –Coercive/Non-Coercive A/A: –Active/Reactive
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3 / 26 Today… Today we will examine the history of the United States between the Civil War and the Great War –How did events and reigning theories of government shape our foreign policy? –How did the president influence the foreign policy followed? –What factors are important in determining foreign policy?
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4 / 26 FP Myth American has traditionally had an isolationist foreign policy? This is patently false –Indian Tribes –Latin Americas –The Caribbean Sea –The Pacific Ocean However…
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5 / 26 US Imperialism was different How was territorial gain to be handled? –What mechanisms in the Constitution allowed for territorial gain? –Jefferson had constitutional difficulties with the Louisiana Purchase difficulties –What constitutional difficulties would we have with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines?
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6 / 26 Constitutional Difficulties How can we have anything other than a state? What do we do with non- incorporated territories? Can we purchase land? Can we invade and keep the land? –Spoils of war? Should we become engaged in European wars? Should we enter as a balancer to help keep the peace?
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7 / 26 The Concert of Europe When the French Empire fell in 1815, it was dismembered –Congress of Vienna –Formalization of Balance of Power in intra-European relations –Concert of Europe
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8 / 26 Century XIX in Europe The rise to the forces of liberalization and nationalism –Unification of Germany (1848- 1871) and Italy (1815-1871) as states –Two more states to help with the balancing –Kept these territories from automatically following another state –Allowed for more flexible balancing The industrialization in the world
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9 / 26 Century XIX in the US Westward expansion –Manifest Destiny –Subjugation of the Indian Nations –Mexican-American War Civil War and Reconstruction Immigration –European –Asian Industrialization Wars –Spanish-American, Philippine- American, and the Great War
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10 / 26 Post-Civil War Era (1865-1890) Civil War was over World was industrializing Europe was busy with two new states: Germany and Italy Concert of Europe still in effect –Focus on multipolar system and flexible alliances to keep the balance We gained no territory through war –Purchase of Alaska in 1867 Our foreign policy was MCA –Why?
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11 / 26 Post-Civil War Era Prosperity –We were busy with Manifest Destiny and settling the American wilderness Agricultural revolution and the Homestead Act (1862) drove the drive to the Midwest –In the urban centers, it was the start of the Gilded Age We eventually surpassed the combined output of Great Britain, Germany, and France.
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12 / 26 Post-Civil War Era Security –Main use of military was to eliminate the Native American threat Army strengthened Navy faded
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13 / 26 Post-Civil War Era Community –Manifest Destiny drove the American psyche –Frontier Thesis (JW Powell) –Massive influx of European immigrants Violence against non-Anglo– Saxon immigrants America for Americans But, KKK disappeared in 1871
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14 / 26 Pre-Great War Era (1890-1920) The frontier was settled The Frontier Thesis was shown wrong Our foreign policy was MCA (except for Wilson) –Why no change in designation, but big change in our actions? This was the age of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine War, and the Great War
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15 / 26 Pre-Great War Era This was the age of American colonialism –We gained non-continental territory in this age Cuba (1898) Puerto Rico (1898) Philippines (1898) Guam (1898) Hawaii (1898) Samoa (1899) Wake Island (1899) Virgin Islands (1917 purchase) –BUT, what could we constitutionally do with any of it?
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16 / 26 Pre-Great War Era This was also the age of foreign interventions: –Mexico (Vera Cruz) –Colombia/Panama –Nicaragua –Haiti –Dominican Republic –The Banana Wars
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17 / 26 Pre-Great War Era Prosperity –The second half of the Gilded Age –Monopolies became extremely powerful engines of the economy –These required cheap natural resources Latin America was close at hand US policy towards LA focused on installing and supporting governments that were friendly with our MNCs
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18 / 26 Pre-Great War Era Security –Interventionism Open Door Policy (China) –Our versions of diplomacy in this period Big Stick Diplomacy Dollar Diplomacy Gunboat Diplomacy
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19 / 26 Pre-Great War Era Community –The Progressive Movement began in 1890s and continued for at least two decades in response to the immigrants –The KKK was reborn in 1915 to deal with the immigrants
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20 / 26 WWWD? Wilson was different from his immediate predecessors He was the quintessential follower of Idealism –National Self-Determination –Commitment to international institutions –MCA BUT, how different was he from traditional US foreign policy?
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21 / 26 From the Great War to the Great Depression What was our foreign policy? Our presidents were –Harding –Coolidge –Hoover Our motto was: “The business of America is business” We were living in the “Roaring 20s” What kind of foreign policy should result?
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22 / 26 Out of the Depression What was our foreign policy? Our president was –Franklin D. Roosevelt We were working our way out of a depression –The depression was global, not national –The rise of totalitarian philosophies was also global –Could democracy and capitalism survive?
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23 / 26 Finally Remember that we are using Chittick’s framework to better understand our foreign policies throughout the ages. We have not always been “isolationist” –In fact, I cannot think of a time when we were
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24 / 26 The Purpose of Theory Chittick’s framework also exposes what he thinks are the most important things to look at when analyzing foreign policy –We also call this theory –Without theory to guide our thinking, we end up not thinking at all Too many things happening in the world
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25 / 26 The Purpose of Theory –Theory helps us answer the question: What should we focus on? Does it matter if America is a wealthy state? Does it matter that I prefer to wear Nikes? What really matters?
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26 / 26 Assignment Read: –Chapter 2 (Hook) –Pages 116 – 133 (Chittick) No class Wednesday –Mass of the Holy Spirit Friday’s Topic: –From Hot War to Cold War
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