Defensive Foreign Policies - 865 Words

Defensive Foreign Policies In the early stages of the political United States, between 1789 and 1825, foreign policy was controversial with the popular demand of the American people. The foreign policy was primarily acts of neutrality and refusal to be involved with European affairs that came out of a defensive reaction to perceived threats from Europe. Two of these policies in include Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality and the Monroe Doctrine. Both of these policies expressed the neutrality of the United States in European affairs and helped the new country to develop without the constant threat of war. President George Washington issued the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793 as a response to United States involvement in the†¦show more content†¦It was clear that the country benefited most from times of peace instead of war because even though they won the War of 1812, the U.S. gained very little, but still lost many soldiers. Washington, in his farewell address , wrote about the foreign policies that he thought would best protect the United States against any European threat. These included not getting involved in European affairs, avoiding sectionalism, and not making permanent alliances, but temporary trading ones instead. The reason early foreign policies were primarily defensive and promoted neutrality is because early presidents and government officials were more concerned with the protection of the United States than trying to assert its power and dominance in the world. The Napoleonic wars had distracted European countries from the growth of America but once Napoleon fell, the United States needed more defensive actions against European threat like the Monroe Doctrine. The people sometimes forgot that they did not defeat Britain on their own and that many European powers were no longer interested in the well-being of the new country. Both the Proclamation of Neutrality and the Monroe Doctrine were issued as defensive reactions to pe rceived threats from Europe. Washington’s Proclamation was not favored by the American public, while the Monroe Doctrine was supported, but both dealt with a foreign policy of neutrality that protected and benefited theShow MoreRelatedInternational Relations: Japan’s Engagement with China, 1990-20103146 Words   |  13 Pagesunderstand why a democratic state would engage an emerging threat, rather than opt for a bevy of other available policies. Those who side with the international determinants may argue that the decision to engage a threat is a carefully crafted plan, one that aims to diffuse the target state’s power without having to oppose it militarily. My objective is to offer an alternative: that following a policy of engagement toward the emerging threat is not an intentional objective, but rather an unintended consequenceRead MoreFuture of Diplomacy5660 Words   |  23 Pagesprimary objective: the promotion of the national interest by peaceful means. This has always been so and is particularly so in view of the destructive potentialities of total war. Taken in its widest meaning, comprising the whole range of foreign policy, the task of diplomacy is fourfold: (1) Diplomacy must determine its objectives in the light of the power actually and potentially available for the pursuit of these objectives. (2) Diplomacy must assess the objectives of other nations and theRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1122 Words   |  5 Pagescoherence in spreading its ideologies throughout the world,the West seemed to be quite the opposite. In discussing the Cold War throughout this period, you will catch a glimpse of the various events that put the united states and the West on the defensive against communism. At the end of World War II Stalin’s post War vision involved defying the U.S and creating buffer zones between the Soviet Bloc and Germany. In creating this buffer zone the Soviet Union created Communist friendly governments throughoutRead MoreBushs Views On Obamas Presidency1664 Words   |  7 Pagesfree market policies, often justifying his approach with American productivity. For instance in his 2006 State of the Union address Bush asserted that â€Å"with open markets and a level playing field, no one can out-produce or out-compete the American worker† (Bush, State of Union, 2006). This unmistakeably shows Bush’s favouring of free trade policies over protectionism. This belief is, to an extent, reflected in his practice as Bush did enact a series of new trade agreements with foreign nations, somethingRead More The Role for NATO in the Modern World Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pageshave any need for a defensive alliance. Indeed, operations such as those in Bosnia and Kosovo have suggested that for from being a defensive alliance, NATO may have some kind of future as an offensive alliance. There are also now doubts, however, over whether the futures of Europe and the United States are bound together as they were during the Cold War, and many European countries now pursue radically different, more pacifistic foreign policies to that of America. ManyRead MoreU.s. Unilateralism And Military Intervention Throughout The World901 Words   |  4 Pagesaspect of the Bush Administrations use of military intervention in the 2000s has continued to expand under the Obama Administration. The theory of realism is based on the premise of â€Å"self-reliance†, self-interest, and a fear-based form of aggressive policies that have been implemented in unilateral American wars. Realism can provide a foundation for the motivations of the American government to act without global cooperation or diplomacy with other nations, especially due to the massive economic andRead MoreFrench Economy Essay1274 Words   |  6 Pagesleadership recognized benefits of employing the mass civilian labor required for the construction of the Maginot Line and this favorably influenced the decision to support a defensive military strategy. In addition to the civilian labor employment benefits, it was also l ess costly to train and employ troops to man fixed defensive positions and â€Å"avoid the open battle in the field and hide out behind the Maginot Line† . Even though there was a benefit to the local economy, a major strategic issue wasRead MoreThe Italian War And The Punic Wars1399 Words   |  6 PagesPromoting a view that Roman expansion was aggressive, while the main thought was that Rome had gained provinces via defensive measures; Sherwin-White rebuffed Harris’ claims but partly for them being too extreme in thought. The debate resulted in three points of view: economic imperialism: an aggressive policy that believes Rome is intentionally seeking to dominate other states. Defensive imperialism: unintentional empire, a result from major wars such as the Macedonian war and the Punic wars. Rome enteredRead MorePower, Realism And Constructivism. Hoboken : Taylor And Francis920 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican imperialism. Realism is a theory that relies heavily on th e notion of self-interested and fear-based notions of protecting national interests, which the United States has utilized through its powerful military. This international relations policy has generated a trend in post-9/11 American politics that has defined a unilateral approach to national threats on a global scale. Guzzini (2013) defines the underscoring political issues in American unilateralism that defines the realist perspectiveRead MoreChinas Expansion Into The South China Sea Case Study1351 Words   |  6 PagesAround the year 2015 China has started building artificial islands on disputed territory in the South China Sea for the purpose of resource mining, installment of surveillance and defensive infrastructures. Countries in the South China Sea that lay economic and territorial claims such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan have expressed security concerns regarding China’s aggressive expansion unto territories such as the Spratyl Islands and Rubi Reef as Ch ina had increased security and surveillance