Lecture notes for 4/16/99

Thanks to Rob Turner who supplied today's lecture notes.....

U.S. refused to join the League of Nations during World War II.
     -League of Nations tried to prevent the second world war, but its ineptitude due to a lack
          of military (US) involvement, instead, is one cause of the start of world war II.
     -U.S. involvement has been crucial in the enduring maintainence of the United Nations
Great Britain's Empire crumbled after World War II.

Financial commitment of the U.S. to the United Nations helped to bring about stability in the 
     international arena.
     -U.S. tried to bring stability to the international arena by offering support from
          its undamaged economical standing
U.S. vowed to play an active role in collective security over the globe.

Regional Security Alliances
     -NATO:  formed in direct response of perceived threat of soviet expansionism
     -Primary branch:  military alliance
          -An attack on one is considered an attack on all.
     -Warsaw Pact:  formed immediately afterwards as a counterpart to NATO

Containment:  preventing the spread of communism
     -OAS:  Organization of American States
     -SEATO:  South-East Asian Treaty Organization
          -SEATO dissolved in 1970
     -Policy of containment:  U.S. policy toward communism following World War II

Democratic expansionism:  support adoption of democratic forms of government (mainly US)

Isolationalism:  belief that U.S. should not be involved in foreign affairs
     -Belief lasted from the 1800's to the early 1900's.
Neo-isolationalism:  involvement should be minimal
     -Most modern neo-isolationists say we should be involved, but we shouldn't be the
          world's policemen.
Expansionism
     -U.S. policy of expansionism has been limited to Pacific expansion and some
          international expansion on the high seas

Imperialism and colonialism were prominent before World War I.
Soviet expansionism existed following World War II.