To what extent was the United States a world power in 1914 - Essay Example

The main reasons as to why the foreign policy of the US government was isolationist in nature, is because the US still did not have enough resources and capability of worrying about the foreign affairs and problems of other countries (Hook and Scott, 2012). On this basis, the immediate concern of the United States was its internal environment. This was a period in which the US had just emerged from a costly civil war, and it was the intention of General Washington to expand the territories of United States (Hook and Scott, 2012).

However, during the year 1890, the government of the United States began engaging with overseas territories (Black, 2003). The government decided to look for the markets of its products to foreign markets. This was not only for an economic benefit, but also for their territorial expansion (Hook and Scott, 2012). On this basis, the expansionist policy of the United States took an international approach. For instance, the American government sent an invasion force to Haiti, in 1915, with the intention of protecting American economic interests, as well as replacing the Haitian constitution which advocated against the foreign ownership of land (Kagan, 2003).

On this basis, its invasion of Haiti was purely motivated by economic and territorial gains. It is important to denote that the expansionist policy practiced by the United States was under the context of the isolationist policy. The First World War played a significant role in shaping the global position of the United States. This is because the First World War negatively affected the global stability that was witnessed during the last 100 years (Kagan, 2003). On this basis, political isolation no longer served the interests of the United States.

, hence the country had to engage in a series of foreign affairs, that was never witnessed in the United States. It is important to denote that the First World War began in 1914 (Kagan,