World War II's Foreign Policy In The 20th Century

The legacy of World War II is often perceived as one of the most impactful events of the 20th century. The war began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and seized control of the nation. Other nations took and formed sides, and World War II developed into a conflict between two sides, the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers. Ultimately, the Allied Powers were able to defeat the Axis Powers and brought about important changes, such as the improvement of human rights. However, World War II also brought about other less appalling changes. During the 20th century, conflicts, primarily World War II, caused the foreign policy of the world’s nations to focus on intervening, rather than isolation.
American foreign policies demonstrate one such change.

In the early 1900s, before the formation of the Soviet Union, Russia was a poverty-stricken, newly industrialized nation with an increasing working class comprised of poor citizens. Many other nations perceived Russia as an undeveloped, self-sustaining nation, with tensions with powerful nations, such as Britain and France. Famine, poverty, and poor working conditions were prevalent for the working class and prompted them to protest their government. However, such government responded with a massacre known as Bloody Sunday, provoking the nation to undergo a revolution, and later a civil war. In the end, Communists took control of the nation and established the Soviet Union (“Russian Revolution”). Shortly after, revolutionary Joseph Stalin was able to seize power and become dictator of the Soviet Union. Under his control, the USSR fought in World War II on the side of the Allied Powers and became a global superpower. However, as aforementioned, the US also rose to global power and the two nations soon found themselves in a conflict with one another. (“Soviet Union”). Nevertheless, World War II gave the USSR the ability to expand their control. One such place was Afghanistan, which the Soviet Union invaded in 1979. Prior to their invasion, the Soviet Union had already created political ties to Afghanistan’s communist government. However, the

Admittedly, the US did place new domestic policies during the time period that partially isolated them from the rest of the world. In 1953, the US government signed the National Security Act, establishing the National Security Council. The council was comprised of important government officials, such as the President, and addressed domestic issues and national security threats. Focusing an abundance of attention on the nation’s own issues could potentially distract the nation from international affairs. (“National Security Act”). However, the National Security Council also discussed key foreign policies and negotiated with other foreign leaders. Although the US may have become somewhat isolated in consequence of a component of the policy, other portions force the US to intervene in foreign affairs. Certainly, the USSR also somewhat isolated themselves. The Soviet economy was state-owned, implying that it was also self-sufficient. In consequence, the USSR limited foreign traded with other nations (Maggs). However, the USSR still engaged in foreign interactions in other forms. The USSR invaded other nations when necessary and remained a key member of the Warsaw Pact. Therefore, although the economic aspects of USSR foreign policy have remained isolationist, the USSR is still called