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Difficulty: HardWorld War I: Diplomacy, Military, and Postwar Peace

"America's present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration; not agitation, but adjustment; not surgery, but serenity; not the dramatic, but the dispassionate; not experiment, but equipoise; not submergence in internationality, but sustaining in triumphant nationality..."

— Senator Warren G. Harding, speech in Boston, May 1920

Which of the following developments in United States foreign policy after World War I is best reflected in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The adoption of complete isolationism that withdrew the nation from global economic investment and trade
  2. A preference for unilateral foreign policy over international collective security commitmentsAnswer
  3. C
    A commitment to establishing defensive military alliances with European nations to protect the Western Hemisphere
  4. D
    The creation of a global military containment alliance to prevent the spread of Soviet influence

Answer

A preference for unilateral foreign policy over international collective security commitments
The correct answer, which highlights a preference for unilateral foreign policy over international collective security commitments, is supported by Harding's rejection of 'submergence in internationality' in favor of 'sustaining in triumphant nationality.' This sentiment directly aligned with the Senate's rejection of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, setting the stage for 1920s unilateralism.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus excerpt
The excerpt by Warren G. Harding from May 1920 calls for 'normalcy,' 'restoration,' and sustaining 'triumphant nationality' rather than 'submergence in internationality.'
Understanding the core message of the source is necessary to identify the historical sentiment it represents.
2
Contextualize the excerpt historically
This speech was delivered in the wake of World War I and during the heated domestic debate over the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles and participation in the League of Nations.
Placing the source in its correct chronological and political context connects it to post-World War I foreign policy.
3
Evaluate the options against the historical context and the source's meaning
Harding's emphasis on national sovereignty and rejection of international integration reflects the U.S. turn toward unilateralism, where the nation pursued independent foreign policy goals rather than binding collective security agreements.
This allows for the elimination of incorrect options that mischaracterize 1920s foreign policy (such as complete isolationism or containment) and identifies the correct choice.

Key Concept

Post-World War I United States foreign policy and the debate over the League of Nations
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

World War I: Diplomacy, Military, and Postwar Peace

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