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Franklin Roosevelt: Incidents The Good Neighbor Policy Although most of Roosevelt's diplomatic initiatives came from America's involvement in World War II, he did have a consistent policy with regards to Latin and South America. Almost a sort of anti-policy, the Good Neighbor Policy restricted any involvement in the Western Hemisphere for any reason. "By 1936 Roosevelt could call the Good Neighbor Policy 'a fact, active, present, pertinent, and effective.' Yet it was notable that the stand was essentially a negative policy -- one of non-interference -- whatever positive results might flow from it." (Burns 253). This anti-policy helped Roosevelt focus on the domestic concerns threatening America's prosperity during the 30's. Early in the war, Roosevelt's domestic concerns weakened his position to bargain, especially with regards to Congressional legislation forbidding the sale of arms to Europe. "Roosevelt dared not stand against the tide; he had urgent domestic bills to get through, and the isolationist were threatening to filibuster. The President warned that the inflexible provisions might drag us into war instead of keeping us out." (Burns 255). Not only did the isolationists insist on keeping the country out of foreign matters but they destroyed the idea of collective security the Wilsonians believed was the key to peace. (Kissinger 372). Although the arms embargo did contribute to America's inflexible position, "sooner or later, the threat to the European balance of power would have forced the United States to intervene in order to stop Germany's drive for world domination. (369-370). The Four Policemen Most of Roosevelt's foreign policy issues were aimed at ending World War II peacefully and preventing such devastation from occurring again. This time Roosevelt would see to it that future wars were prevented, and "he saw to it that, this time, America's involvement would mark a first step toward permanent international engagement. During the war, his leadership held the alliance together and shaped the multilateral institutions which continue to serve the international community to this day." (Burns 370). Preparing for he thought was a inevitable entry into the war Roosevelt readied the American public for war. In a radio address on May 27, 1941, he told the American people, "We will not tolerate a Hitler-dominated world. And we will not accept a world, like the post-war world of the 1920's, in which the seeds of Hitlerism can again be planted and allowed to grow. We will accept only a world consecrated to freedom of speech and expression -- freedom of every person to worship God in his own way --freedom from want -- and freedom from terror." (Kissinger 390). Unlike Wilson, Roosevelt tried to establish a compromise between European balance of power politics and collective security. "Roosevelt's scheme of the Four Policemen to bring about and guarantee global peace represented a compromise between Churchill's traditional balance of power politics and the unconstrained Wilsonianism of Roosevelt's advisors as epitomized by Secretary of State Cordell Hull." (Kissinger 397). At the Teheran conference Roosevelt only "half-heartedly" pushed for his political goals; his primary objective being to establish the idea of the Four Policemen. (412). Later at Yalta, Roosevelt was finally able to discuss America's real aims. "Roosevelt sought an agreement on voting procedures for the United Nations, and to nail down Soviet participation in the war against Japan." (Kissinger 414). Russia had its way with borders and territorial disputes. But, in Roosevelt's words, the Yalta conference, “... ought to spell the end of the system of unilateral action, the exclusive alliances, the spheres of influence, the balances of power, and all the other expedients that have been tried for centuries-and have always failed. We propose to substitute for all these, a universal organization in which all peace-loving nations will finally have a chance to join. I am confident that the Congress and the American people will accept the results of this conference as the beginnings of a permanent structure of peace. (416)” His efforts at peace cost FDR his life. Under Roosevelt's condition, the stress of being President and negotiating an end to the war was too much. His doctor concluded from the sharp fluctuations in the Presidents blood pressure that Roosevelt could only survive if he avoided stress. "Given the pressures of the presidency, that assessment was tantamount to a death sentence." (Kissinger 423).He died on April 12, 1945. |
F. Roosevelt Incidents
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