After World War II, the world experienced instability, with bloody conflicts frequently occurring in Europe. Among all the countries, the US attracted envy and admiration by being the only country with a system that kept all regions in peace without conquering. Indeed, the US managed to force 13 states to cooperate due to three political rules, while Truman’s doctrine made this country eligible to maintain the dominating positions worldwide.
The first rule, Washington’s Great Rule, appeared after the First World War by guaranteeing America’s neutral position in other countries policies. Instead of fighting, the US maintained trade relations, not military unions with foreigners (American Umpire 9:20). Interestingly, the second principle limited the military force since the authorities did not want to control people using violence. Meanwhile, countries like France had large armies relying on restricting the liberty of young citizens. The last rule was established to ensure freedom for everyone, as it restricted the country’s ability to intervene in people’s problems. These three rules introduced the US as an isolated country with solid economics.
However, independent American policy required changes as the countries worldwide experienced problems while the US maintained peace. Thus, in 1947 Truman’s Doctrine replaced Washington’s Great Rule as the result of the Greek Civil War (American Umpire 15:30). When European countries asked for American help against the Soviet Union to eliminate the risk of war, President Truman guaranteed that the US would help all democratic nations against external force. Thus, neutrality, non-intervention, and no standing army were replaced by active participation, support, and assistance to foreign countries.
To conclude, the post-war period was significant in marking the countries’ roles in the international scene. The US decided to lead democratic countries and support them in extreme situations. The post-war conflicts isolated the US at the beginning to enhance its economics but eventually turned the country into a world peace savior. The most critical rule that governed America’s policy was Truman’s Doctrine which made it possible to intervene in all foreign affairs and protect world nations from danger.
Work Cited
American Umpire. Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2015, Web.