iCivics Foreign Policy

More than 100 U.S. citizens died when the Germans sunk a passenger ship called the Lusitania in 1915, but President Wilson did not want to enter World War I. He convinced Germany to agree to stop the attacks.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

In 1917, Germany re-started its submarine attacks against unarmed ships even though it had pledged to stop. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war, and the U.S. entered World War I.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

In 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed an agreement forming an alliance. They hoped to keep the U.S. out of World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress for aid to help Great Britain fight these powers.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt asked the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Japan. Congress acted quickly, and the U.S. officially entered World War II.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

In order to defeat Germany in World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt worked with Great Britain to plan a major invasion of western Europe. In 1943, he appointed General Dwight Eisenhower to lead the attack.

• Military

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• Aid

In 1949, after World War II, the United States and other democratic western countries formed NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It said that if any country was attacked by an outside nation, they would help defend each other.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

After World War II, the United States gave more than $13 billion to help rebuild countries and support their democratic governments.

• Military

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• Aid

During the Cold War, the United States was determined to stop communism from spreading. When communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, President Truman sent U.S. troops to help stop the North Koreans.

• Military

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• Aid

In 1968, the major countries of the world agreed to the “Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty” in order to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid

In 1990, Iraqi leader Sadam Hussein invaded and took over neighboring Kuwait. In January 1991, Congress authorized President George H. W. Bush to lead U.S. troops into Kuwait and force the Iraqi troops to leave.

• Military

• Treaty

• Aid