Main Principles
U.S. foreign policy during this period was defined by the country’s confidence that it had a mission to promote and improve democratic values in international relations. Appeals to such aspects as human rights allowed Russia to be judged as a flawed country, which complicated relations between the powers. U.S. messianism was the reason why the government intervened so violently in the affairs of its Far Eastern neighbors, including China and Japan (Herring, 2008). The policy of exporting American capital to increase its spheres of influence, including Russia, continued (Herring, 2008). And it should be noted that this process was carried out unilaterally at the initial stage – only from the United States to Russia.
Reflective Comments
The Hay doctrine, published in 1899, determined the future course of U.S. foreign policy. This document opened a new stage in the development of U.S. expansion in the Far East. Financial support for Japan aimed to expand the country’s political influence against the backdrop of growing contradictions between Japan and Russia (Herring, 2008). Russia at the time, was a significant competitor to the U.S. because the countries exported the same goods. Under Roosevelt, the U.S. was the third strongest naval force globally, but the land forces were much smaller. The U.S. did not abandon its attempts to expand its influence on Chinese affairs (Herring, 2008). However, because of the revolution that began in the country, the situation spiraled out of control. By the beginning of WWI, the U.S. had failed to make progress in the Far East. U.S.-Russian relations at that time could not be called stable: periods of steady development were followed by outbreaks of sharp destabilization. The election of Wilson, a Democrat, to the U.S. presidency has only added to the difficulty of normalizing relations with Russia because of his pro-American and pro-Expansionist views.
Reference
Herring, George C. From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.