Isolationism Essay, Research Paper

In the early 1930 s, America was troubled by the rise of dictatorships in Italy and

Germany, and a militaristic government in Japan, but felt unable, and unwilling, to do

anything about these developments. The inability of the League Of Nations to halt

aggressor nations further strengthened American isolationists. As a result, isolationist

congressmen succeeded in passing neutrality acts intended to keep the United States

out of another war. President Roosevelt invoked the Neutrality Acts against the

belligerents and issued a declaration of American neutrality. Roosevelt s primary goal

was to keep the nation neutral in action, however, he did not expect all Americans to

remain neutral in thought.

The Neutrality Act of 1935 declared that the President should prohibit for six

months the shipping of arms to warring powers and should forbid Americans citizens

to travel on the ships of nations at war. Roosevelt preferred and embargo on arms

shipments to aggressor nations while permitting the sale of arms to nations defending

themselves. But the isolationists felt that if the United States was to keep out of foreign

quarrels, it could not afford to distinguish between aggressors and victims.

In 1937, congress passed a second Neutrality Act. It retained the restrictions of

the earlier legislation and also made it illegal for Americans to travel on ships of

warring nations. Belligerent nations were allowed to buy non-military goods from the

United States if they paid cash and transported goods in their own ships. Most

Americans continued to hope that these laws could keep the country from becoming

involved in Europe s seemingly endless troubles.

Before the outbreak of World War II Roosevelt had voiced his objections to the

Neutrality Acts. Such legislation played into the hands of aggressor nations by

assuring them that there victims could not get military supplies from the United States.

When war broke out in Europe, Roosevelt was even more convinced of the need to

change the neutrally laws. So in 1939 Congress passed a third Neutrality Act. It gave

the President essentially what he wanted. The embargo on the sale of arms, munitions,

and implements of war was repealed; all commerce with the belligerents was to be on a

cash and carry basis; the granting of loans was prohibited; Americans were not

allowed to travel on belligerent ships; American vessels were forbidden to enter the

war zone; and American merchant vessels were not permitted to arm.

Although the neutrality acts were passed, in less then three years, Roosevelt

had taken his staunchly isolationist people into a global war (392). President

Roosevelt stressed the need to strengthen American defenses and give all possible aid

to Great Britain. He did this by making Americans realize that they had no experience

with going to war for shielding purposes outside the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt

made his countrymen aware of the alarming events in Europe in hopes of

strengthening the hand of those Americans who wanted to aid Great Britain. In

addition to all this, Roosevelt also brought to the attention of the American people that

the Nazi victories threatened to bring war closer to the United States. Finally, the

bombing of Pearl Harbor impelled America into the second World War.

Roosevelt had discussed with the British government in 1940 the possibility of

making the United States an arsenal of democracy. The United States, however,

could not lend money to Britain, since the neutrality acts prohibited loans to

belligerents. So in 1941 Roosevelt introduced a Lend-Lease Act to Congress. It would

authorize the President to sell, lease or lend war materials to any nation whose defense

he considered vital to America s safety. In return the United States would accept return

of the goods after the war. Isolationists in Congress insisted that the measure would

drag us into war, nevertheless, public opinion favored the measure and so it was

passed.

For a country to undergo a change, from absolute isolationism to vital

involvement in world affairs, there has to be a major individual influence from the

nations leader. Americas leader was President Roosevelt, who in only three months

proved his leadership expertise to the America people. Its no wonder why Roosevelt

earned himself four terms as President, he demonstrated his assertiveness by

strengthening the military; his openness by making the American people aware of his

concerns; his wisdom by understanding all sides of the situation at hand; his political

discernment by keeping all his options open; his sensitivity and intuition as he

understood the psychology of his citizens; and his awe-inspiring determination, as he

declared, what he called, the Four Freedoms (389) (freedom of speech and worship;

freedom from want and fear). No modern American president was better at this kind

of tactical management than Roosevelt (380).

After passing the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937, the American attitude

toward aggressor nations began to change. It could no longer be said that America was

a neutral nation, they were now involved with worldly concerns. There was no better

leader to embark the nation in a new kind of foreign policy then Roosevelt.

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