Foreign Policy of the 1920’s

 

Background:

 

America was a debtor nation in 1914, but emerged from World War One the leading creditor nation

 

America also became the world’s leading producer and exporter of industrial products as well as a leading money lender

 

American tariffs were high which limited European trade with the U.S. (reduced their ability to make money)

 

Other nations raised their own tariff rates to counteract American tariffs

 

Major Foreign Policy Actions:

 

Dawes Plan 1924:

     US lends money to Germany

     Germany pays its reparations to the Allies

     the Allies repay US loans from the war

       Washington Naval Conference 1921:

 

     US, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan

           agreed to limit the number of ships

           each country could build

 

     Pledged to keep peace in Asia and to

           protect the independence of China but

           failed to provide for a way of enforcing

           these

 

Kellogg-Briand Pact:

     15 nations met in Paris and signed this

           pact which outlawed war except in

           cases of self defense

 

     Eventually 60 nations signed it, but lacked

           a way to enforce it

 

League of Nations: America refused to join it, not having America in it was a fatal weakness

 

Generally, America remained isolated from the world in its foreign policy in the 1920’s (no-one wanted involvement in another war)