nt in America shifted from internationalism to non-intervention. The U.S. did not sign Versailles and did not enter the League of Nations. In the 1920’s, the U.S. became increasingly isolationist, and began to see Europe as economically untrustworthy because of the continual reparations problems. With the crash in 1929 and the world recession, America became even more isolationist and economically independent. F.D. Roosevelt’s first priority during the depression was to restore the economy at home, since he believed that economic recovery was the only cure for a social and political crisis. Roosevelt stood by and did nothing as the international situation deteriorated because that was all he could do with a weak military, and with the deep political hostility against foreign intervention and rearmament that he faced. Despite this, after Munich he made a decision to change American foreign policy and to stand by France, Britain, and democracy. After the war started in Europe, the U.S. still did not want to actually send troops, but the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan forced her to declare war on the Axis powers. The withdrawal of the world’s largest economy from an active role in world affairs created a power vacuum in the 30’s, which created the conditions and opportunities for the three aggressor states to start local programs of expansion that France and Britain were took weak to stop by themselves. By the late 30’s international conditions deteriorated to the point that U.S. safety could only be secured by going to war – the very thing isolationism was meant to avoid. (Overy, Road, 258-296)The main principle behind the Thirty Years War thesis is that World War two was the culmination of the disintegration of Europe, which was begun by WWI and continued by the abortive peace. The political, psychological, and economic impact of WWI was enormous. The long period of stability and liberalism ...
