After the First World War, the European nations assumed that the United States (US) would continue to involve itself in international matters, particularly in helping to reconstruct Europe and help maintain the balance of power. However, the US showed no inclination to become involved. On the one hand this was seen in Europe as evidence of selfishness and immaturity. On the other, whilst many Americans shared the Europeans sense of disillusionment with the war and its aftermath, they also believed that their involvement had been both unnecessary and a grave mistake. The Nye Committee (1935) proclaimed that the US had been lured into the war by armaments manufacturers and by Wall Street bankers who wanted to save their fortunes. Foreign policy had seldom interested many Americans, and there was no earthly reason in the inter-war years why they felt that they should become involved in what they considered to be the affairs of other nations. They were not threatened and there were more important activities to which they wanted to devote their time and money.

Many thought of relations with other natio

However, the State and Treasury Departments had a vision of a multilateral, peaceful world without trade barriers. The Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau's ambition was to return the international economy to a world of freely convertible currencies. He made small headway in 1936 by negotiating the Tripartite Stabilization Agreement with France and Britain. Secretary of State at the time, Cordell Hull was convinced that free trade and non-discrimination might have prevented war in Europe. However both Morgenthau and Hull lacked clear-cut political support for their policies.

ns in terms of trade and finance, which belonged in the realm of the private sector and that there was little need for political and hence public involvement with other countries. As a result, the American approach to foreign policy in the inter-war years appears to be confused. Public opinion, and Congress, appeared to be predominantly isolationist and this had to be taken into account by presidents and policy makers who wished to be more active. During the 1920s, Republican Party administrators implemented a foreign policy consisting of two main themes. First, the reconstruction of Europe in which the government would take a back seat to the private sector; and second the backing of moves for the reduction of armaments and limitation in which the government itself took the lead. From 1933 onwards the Democratic Party came to power and isolationism continued to be a dominant strain in US politics and foreign policy. Roosevelt announced at the World Economic Conference (1933) that the US would concentrate on domestic economic recovery. In addition a series of Neutrality Acts were passed by Congress which were intended to fence off the US from future conflicts by ensuring that businessmen and financiers could not do business with those waging war. Public opinion continued to remain strong - the severity of the Depression led many to conclude that their efforts and attention ought to be focused on home affairs rather than abroad. Isolationism also had a historical source as well. America was largely a land of immigrants, of people who had left Europe and its problems behind. Why the need to get involved again?

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1502
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)