Introduction
In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt ascended to the presidency of the United States of America that at that time remained in the state of disastrous crisis. Facing the necessity to deal with the Great Depression, the economic downturn that started in 1929, I launched the New Deal program. It led to the restructuring of the American economy and the establishment of the new model of relations between business, labor force, and the state (Roark, Johnson, Cohen, Stage, & Hartmann, 2013). The decision to spend money on developing the system of infrastructure across the country provided the unemployed with the workplaces. Together with that, I reformed the banking system and stock exchange and made farmers feel comfortable in the economic environment. Moreover, I focused on the protection of civil rights and guaranteed that black and other racial minority employees received the same wages as the white ones and that women obtained the right to enter job positions (Ferguson, 1984).
Analysis
Concentrating on solving domestic problems and building a powerful state, I promised myself that I would focus on the internal affairs till the moment my country experienced total economic recovery, that is why I did not intervene in Latin America when Mexico took over American oil holdings. Nevertheless, I did not want to lead my motherland to isolation, so the United States recognized the Soviet Union in 1933 and announced Good Neighbor policy with Latin America in 1934. Still, it was complicated to stay neutral when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1936 and Japan’s aggression upon China in 1937, but I remained unprovoked.
I managed to adhere to the policy of neutrality even when World War II outburst in Europe. Even though the United States provided Great Britain and France with arms, the decision to export military equipment to European countries was purely economic in its nature, as the country needed additional sources of income, so, it added to the growth of the gross domestic product. What is more, I came to a determination of strengthening military powers and defense capability as I observed the developments in international relations and the World War picking up the speed. I made this decision regardless of growing internal anti-arming propaganda assuring my nation that the United States would remain neutral as long as possible.
It was not until the 1941 Japan attack on Pearl Harbor that the United States armed forces joined the war (Roark et. al, 2013). Entering a war, on the one hand, had a profound social impact as more than 16 million people were forced to military service during the war. On the other, it helped completely overcome and neutralize the consequences of the Great Depression as the United States provided the Axis needs for armaments so that the American economy stepped into a new period of growth and prosperity. I hope that one day my country will become a victor in this war. As for now, the major industrial powers were destroyed by the military actions leaving us with the potential of becoming a monopoly in manufacturing essential products and an industrial giant. If it were for me, I would have never joined the war and saved the lives of millions of people who laid down their lives for the welfare of their country. But the decision was made for me, so the only option is to enjoy overcoming the Depression and make every possible effort to end the war.
References
Ferguson, T. (1984). From Normalcy to New Deal: Industrial structure, party competition, and American public policy in the Great Depression. International Organization, 38(1), 41-95.
Roark, J. L., Johnson, M. P., Cohen, P. C., Stage, S., & Hartmann, S. M. (2013). The American promise: A concise history, volume 2: From 1865 (5th ed.). New York, NY: Bedford-St. Martin’s.