Significant Events in U.S. Foreign Relations 1900-2001

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Significant Events in U.S. Foreign Relations 1900-2001

April 2006

Focusing on a number of seminal world events, this issue of eJournal USA: Foreign Policy Agenda offers a framework for examining how U.S. foreign relations have evolved over the past century, influenced by the legacy of America's founding ideals of protecting individual rights and freedom.

The Editors recognize that any selection of "major events" will ultimately be arbitrary, but it is our hope that those in this journal will provide insight into the American character and stimulate dialogue among international audiences.

More Coverage

PEACE & SECURITY

Creating a more stable world

Translations

Inside This Publication

Volume 11, Number 1

From the Editors

About This Issue

Introduction
From Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
The United States: Inextricably Linked with Nations Across the Globe
American diplomacy in the 20th century is largely the story of how policy-makers have sought the right equilibrium between national interests and ultimate ideals.
The Cold War: A Test of American Power and a Trial of Ideals
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union represented competing and incompatible philosophies and plans for rebuilding and reorganizing Europe.
The Suez Crisis: A Change in the Middle East Balance of Power
The Suez Crisis was nearly a major regional war between Egypt, Israel, Britain, and France that might have drawn in the Soviet Union and the United States.

Table of Contents - Continued

Brussels Universal and International Exposition (Expo 1958)
The Expo provided the backdrop for the cultural Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union.
Nixon In China: A Turning Point in World History
The communist victory in the Chinese civil war had a shattering impact on the U.S., but by 1972 tensions had eased and each state found the need to resume normalization.
Ping-Pong Diplomacy Spearheaded U.S.-Chinese Relations
Unlikely diplomats went to play table tennis and changed history along the way.
Trade and Economics as a Force in U.S. Foreign Relations
While pursuing its own interests, the U.S. promoted freedom and open markets in the belief that “free nations trading freely” would improve the human condition.
After the Cold War
When the Cold War came to an end in 1989 there was widespread feeling throughout the world that at long last universal peace had descended on Earth.

Story and Photos

The Marshall Plan: A Strategy That Worked

The European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan, has entered into history as the most successful American foreign policy project since World War II.

Story and Photos

The Panama Canal: A Vital Maritime Link for the World

Completion of the Panama Canal transformed the American continent and created a vital link for the entire world.

Additional Resources

Bibliography

Internet Resources

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