LEQ

By 1891, the US had overcome the Civil War and had established itself as a strong independent nation. The industrialization of the US economy following the new management techniques led to a boom in productivity and the economy as the whole. Additionally, that marks the beginning of the progressive era, with many reforms being enacted both within the American government and society as a whole. At this point, the US had resolved many of its internal issues and started looking to expand its international horizons. Although the US did not join the League of Nations and become a leading force in global security, because of imperialistic ambitions, as evidenced in the Spanish-American war and its role in World War I, international conflicts establish America as a dominant global force.

One example of the US expanding its global influence throughout conflict was depicted in the Spanish-American war, in which the U.S. viewed Cuba and the Philippines as business opportunities and sought to attain them forcefully from Spain. As mentioned in the Turner Thesis of the closing of the frontier along with the Manifest Destiny, the U.S. Craved for other territories to expand and conquer. The Spanish-American war was one such example of newfound imperialistic ambitions coming to light. In winning the war the U.S. attained Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba, the Philippines, and other Territories. The victory also established themselves as an imperial force that is competent to rival Europe.

Nearly 2 decades later came the first world war in which the US cemented its place as a global power. Although this was a foreign conflict that didn’t involve the US to a great extent, the U.S. Got pulled into the war and contradicted the isolationist sentiment it possessed during the 1910s. The act of entering the war changed the tide of the fights and ultimately allied forces were victorious. Additionally, Wilson used the war to implement his vision for the collective international future. His fourteen points outlined a way that western power could move forward to prevent another large scale conflict and established the League of Nations. Wilson took charge of the peace talks and the US came out of the war with much more global influence than when it entered. Additionally, Wilson’s moral diplomacy and the US entering the war in the first place shows that in the future the country would be willing to go to war to protect the freedom of others.

On the other hand, since the US didn’t actually take part in the League of Nations, the conflicts did not greatly affect the US’s position in the world. It is true that the US did not join the League of Nations and proceeded to cut itself off from European affairs following the war. This was likely due to Washington’s warning not to meddle in foreign affairs and make alliances and resulted in the US not allying itself with the European nations it had fought alongside. Acknowledging the fact that the League of Nations was pointless and failed to prevent international conflict, the US’s influence internationally did indeed diminish. However, although the US didn’t actually take part, it still helped them to win the war and lead peace talks. Additionally, the world recognized the US’s earlier imperial ambitions through the Spanish American War and as such the US still ended up having a significant role in global affairs due to international conflicts.