Wang !1 The Extent to which U.S. Foreign Policy was Guided by Moral Principles during World War II Jack W US History Green Mrs. Despo March 11, 2020 Wang !2 The Extent to which U.S Foreign Policy was Guided by Moral Principles during World War II After World War I, the United States opted to pursue various foreign policies, such as the Lend-Lease policy, the Neutrality Act in 1939, and the Cash and Carry. With the Neutrality Act policy, for instance, the government dodged transnational alliances as an approach to protect its own economic interests, especially after having gone through a draining Great Depression.1 The act declared "permanent neutrality" as the country’s foreign policy, which played an instrumental role in WWII politics. Under the act, the US declared a non-interventionist policy in both WWI and WWII. While the government had long embraced the non-interventionist approach that was established during George Washington’s regime, it issued an official declaration of war during WWII following a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In principle, the United States went to an extent of applying assertive response, largely as a measure to protect its economy, security, and balance global power through carefully crafted politics. In this regard, to a large extent, the United States foreign policy was guided by moral principles that were politically, economically, and military motivated. The article, “America Enters the War,” illustrates various accounts of the significant extent to which the United States’ foreign policy applied prudence, national interests, anarchical theory, and balance of power as the basis of its moral principles.2 The US pursued this ethical principle with a unified belief that global politics is an arena of individual countries pursuing powers. As such, the permanent neutrality helped the United States maintain a balance of power in geopolitics during WWII. In return, the tool would help achieve peace among actors 1 "America Enters the War." In American History, ABC-CLIO, 2020. Accessed March 9, 2020. http:// americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1187288?cid=41&sid=1187288. 2 America Enters the War Wang !3 competing for global powers. The retreat into what was termed as isolationism was a move that was fronted to protect the interests of the United States. As a foreign policy, the Neutrality Act helped the United States sign commercial treaties and expand trade beyond its borders. The act is an indication of the extent to which the country’s foreign policy was informed by moral principles during times of war. The aspect of isolationism was prefixed on the view that the Great Depression had left more than 25 percent of the country's citizens unemployed.3 As such, the focus was to advance local interests that were deemed important and avoid engaging in expensive wars that drained the country's resources. To this end, the United States adopted a foreign policy that was, to a large extent, guided by the moral principal of neutrality to protect its economic and political interests. ! Figure 1: President Franklin D. Roosevelt requesting Congress to declare war on December 8, 19414 3 America Enters the War 4 United States Government. - United States National Archives. “FDR’s “Day of Infamy” Speech Crafting a Call to Arms.” Accessed March 9, 2020. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/winter/ crafting-day-of-infamy-speech.html Wang !4 The Lend-Lease Act (1941), Excerpt, highlights another foreign policy that was extensively guided by moral principles. The policy advanced the political and economic interests of the United States.5 The policy largely applied an anarchical theory of international relations and balance of power as the basis of its moral principles. It extended credits, weapons, and supplies to the British government and countries allied to the United States, such as China. The United States considered China, a Japanese enemy, its ally because of the role it played fighting proxy wars on its behalf. On its part, the British government was struggling to overcome the aggression of Nazi Germany during WWII. With the Lend-Lease Act, the United States would grant aid to any allies that were vital to its security. While the country was not formally involved in WWII, its aid to the British government and China was an act of support to its allies. Japan, for instance, attacked Pearl Harbor as retaliation to what it viewed as arming of China. In this regard, Japan and Nazi Germany were considered a threat to the security of the United States. In these instances, the country applied the Lend-Lease program, which was, in principle, morally motivated by the desire of balancing global power to the favor of the US. 5 "Lend-Lease Act (1941), Excerpt." In American History, ABC-CLIO, 2020. Accessed March 9, 2020. http:// americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/254594. Wang !5 ! Figure 2: Army personnel from the Great Britain unpacking revolvers shipped from the United States under the Lend-Lease Program6 The 1937 Quarantine Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt is another illustration of how the country’s foreign policy was largely guided by moral principles during WWII. In the speech, Roosevelt highlighted the need for immediate "quarantine" in what the president termed as an epidemic war.7 The quarantine speech was an alternative foreign policy measure in response to the unstable political climate brought about by WWII. As a neutrality strategy and a non-intervention approach, the speech was indirectly pointing to the aggressive nature of certain countries, such as the Empire of Japan, Italy, and Nazi Germany. The speech was only meant to address the interests of the United States. For instance, the president acknowledged that the country had experienced a Great Depression in the late 1930s and the WWII situation in Europe 6 "In American History, ABC-CLIO, 2020. Image. Accessed March 9, 2020. http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/ Search/Display/1199639. 7 Glass, Andrew. “This Day in Politics: FDR calls for 'quarantine' of aggressor nations, Oct. 5, 1937.” Politico. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/05/fdr-quarantine-aggressor-nations-1937-855522 Wang !6 was undermining its trade opportunities in the region. As such, gaining financial stability was necessary through the “cash and carry” program.8 Through the program, which was appropriated in 1939, the United States used its permanent neutrality to advance its interests by selling oil and raw materials to belligerent countries in Europe. The United States was able to exercise this prerogative irrespective of the side that the belligerent countries were leaning towards. The move was accepted by different countries that provided tacit acceptance by availing means of passage. The passage was provided as long as the United States remained faithful to its statutes of neutrality. The quarantine speech applied a non-partisan moral principle to the country’s foreign policy. It was used to indirectly warn Japan, German, and Italy against their aggressions. ! Figure 3: A cartoon making fun of the 1937 Quarantine Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt9 8 America Enters the War 9 Dr. Seuss Wang !7 The article, “Cash and Carry in American History,” presents evidence of how the United States advanced a foreign policy program informed by moral principles to provide a balance for global political power. In so doing, the Cash and Carry policy allowed countries that were victims of aggression to procure arms to fight the Axis powers.10 While the United States remained neutral amid chaos after the onset of WWII, it promoted the Lend-Lease foreign policy as an initiative to promote the defense of the motherland.11 In this regard, foreign policy during WWII was meant to help the United States survive the anarchic structure of global war politics. The country supported the preemptive measures with the argument that there is no status-quo in archaic international systems as far as great powers are concerned. Global power was a continuous mission meant to alter the scales in the favor of the United States. As such, the country’s foreign principle of anarchy and balance of power was meant to promote its survival. The only way to ensure this was to exercise the American hegemon. For instance, the Cash and Carry policy was devised to circumvent the neutrality policy. The foreign policy is another indication of the significant extent to which the country’s foreign policy was guided by moral principles. The objective was to tilt global power dynamics during WWII in favor of the US. 10 Carroll, James T., and Tucker, Spencer C. "Cash and Carry." In American History, ABC-CLIO, 2020. Accessed March 9, 2020. http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1891384. 11 Neiberg, Michael S. "Lend-Lease Program." In American History , ABC-CLIO, 2020. Accessed March 9, 2020. http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/642660 Wang !8 ! Figure 4: A postcard supporting aid to allies through Cash and Carry foreign policy12 The Lend-Lease Program article presents a corrective measure of the Neutrality foreign policy act.13 For instance, the terms under which the Neutrality Act was devised presented opportunities for other countries, such as Japan, to transport materials across the Atlantic sea.14 During the onset of WWII, Japan exploited the United States neutrality stance to move across the Atlantic sea. But this window was closed after restrictions were put in place following the Axis powers regulations in 1941. The embargo resulted in an economic clash, a move that triggered Japan to attack Pearl Harbor. The United States responded in kind by declaring war on Japan, Italy, and Germany. The response is an illustration of anarchy, which is an international relation theory that prescribes that the world lacks a supreme authority to resolve disputes.