us history help please?

Question

Why did many Americans suport isolationism after World War I?

Answer 1

This is an important question. The nature of World War I had to be understood. In Europe it was caused by alliances, militarism, and imperialism. It was involved, but in short Kaiser William was an aggressive militaristic leader. NO HITLER BY ANY MEANS, but still his build up of a navy was a threat to Great Britain, and France and Russia also felt uneasy over his heavy military build up. There are more points that could be mentioned here, but that does not pertain to your question.

At the start of World War I in 1914 it was a far away the United States could have stayed out of. The British blockaded Germany, and the Germany used submarines in retaliation. At that time submarines seemed inhuman in that they sunk ships without warning and sometimes killed innocent civilians. At the time that seemed cruel. British by control of the transatlantic cable put out propaganda about German cruelty--greatly exaggerated it. Made the invasion of neutral Belgium at the war's start seem, falsely like a slaughter of baby killing. Then because of the British blockade, the U.S. sold billions of dollars of arms and supplies to Britain and France.

The U.S. first stayed out of the war. But propaganda over submarines, the Kaiser, and other items finally got us in on April 1917. President Wilson called the war to end all wars and the war to make the world safe for democracy. He promised a kindler, gentler world afterwards with an international body to diplomaticly prevent future wars.

Basically, none of this worked out. Americans learned that our companies had made huge loans to the Allies (England, France), and they stood to lose had we not entered the war. A very harsh peace treaty, against Wilson's wished was imposed on Germany. The key result here in that instead of promoting stability, it made Germany hunger for revenge (NO DEFENSE FOR HITLER, BUT HE DID MANIPULATE THIS POINT), and then the League of Nations was too weak to work. In addition, the U.S. even voting against joining!

When the smoke cleared all these negative factors led many in the United States to go back to the Monroe Doctrine, and say let us stay out of European affairs. Wars in faraway places entangled us in unnecessary problems. Many Americans felt in hindsight loans to allies, misunderstanding about submarines, and bias for Great Britain had wrongly gotten us into war. The isolationists, Charles Lindberg and many in Congress, did not want to repeat the mistakes of the Great War.

The isolationist had a point about our mistakes in World War I, a war we could have stayed out of. There mistake was in not recognizing that Hitler and the Japanese militarists were a completely different threat than Kaiser, one that endangered democractic nations, everywhere.

Answer 2

If I remember correctly, it was because the U.S. saw wars and conflicts as other countries' problem and therefore should be solved by the countries where such events are taking place. And of course from a realist perspective where there is no interest or benefits for the U.S. it will not intervene in wars and conflicts. That's why Americans tended to support isolationism.
Some Americans believed that the U.S. should not have intervened in World War I because it was a "European problem" not America's. Not much as changed in nearly 100 years...Many Americans think that we should not intervene in Darfur for the same reason. It's an "African Problem that needs an African solution" not the U.S. I hope that answers your question.

Answer 3

WWI was a brutal war on the battlefield, far more brutal that even WWII. Soldiers returned home shell-shocked, maimed, and with horrific stories of gas, tanks, and shelling. Read All Quiet on the Western Front for the best novel on this issue. Americans had seen too much and they wanted to retreat into isolationism. It was easier that enter into another drawn out conflict on foreigh soil defending nations most young men could not find on a map.

Answer 4

after the devastation of WWI republicans promised this isolationism - "normalcy" we could then stay out of foreign affairs, even tho we cant get enough of it. There was a need to isolate ourselves, but at the same time, our foriegn policy was global..

Answer 5

Basically, Americans believed that if the United States didn't involve itself with other countries' problems, then the United States wouldn't develop any problems or wars with other countries.

Answer 6

Well it worked didn't it?