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Difficulty: MediumInterwar Foreign Policy and Road to World War II

"The signing of the treaty for the renunciation of war... is one of the most important treaties ever negotiated... It does not supersede our right to self-defense, nor does it commit us to the deployment of our military forces at the behest of any international council. We maintain our traditional independence, yet we join with other nations to declare that war shall no longer be used to resolve disputes."

— President Calvin Coolidge, Address to Congress, December 1928

The ideas expressed by Coolidge in the excerpt best support which of the following conclusions about United States foreign policy in the 1920s?

  1. The United States sought to promote global stability through international agreements while avoiding binding collective security alliances.Answer
  2. B
    The United States pursued absolute isolationism by severing diplomatic relations and terminating trade with European nations.
  3. C
    The United States abandoned the Monroe Doctrine in favor of establishing joint military bases with European powers in the Western Hemisphere.
  4. D
    The United States prepared to formally join the League of Nations by accepting international oversight of its military forces.

Answer

The United States sought to promote global stability through international agreements while avoiding binding collective security alliances.
The correct answer is correct because President Coolidge highlights the Kellogg-Briand Pact as an international peace agreement that explicitly avoids committing the United States to military enforcement or international oversight. This reflects the dominant interwar foreign policy of unilateralism, wherein the U.S. sought to encourage international peace and trade without sacrificing its independence or entangling itself in binding military alliances.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document.
President Coolidge's 1928 address discusses a treaty renouncing war (the Kellogg-Briand Pact) and emphasizes that it does not commit the U.S. to military action by international councils while preserving U.S. independence.
Understanding the context of the source is necessary to identify the core foreign policy attitude.
2
Evaluate the choices against the historical context of interwar U.S. foreign policy.
The U.S. rejected collective security (League of Nations) but did not completely isolate itself; it signed unilateral/multilateral pacts like the Kellogg-Briand Pact and Washington Naval Treaty.
Distinguishing between absolute isolationism and unilateral engagement is essential for identifying the correct answer.
3
Match the findings to the correct option.
The option stating that the U.S. sought to promote global stability through international agreements while avoiding binding collective security alliances aligns perfectly with Coolidge's statement.
This confirms the correct pedagogical and conceptual match for the question.

Key Concept

Interwar Foreign Policy and Unilateralism
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Topics

Interwar Foreign Policy and Road to World War II

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