Isolationism
Isolationism is a
foreign policy which combines a
non-interventionist military and political policy with a policy of
economic nationalism (
protectionism). In other words, it asserts both of the following:# Political rulers should avoid
entangling alliances with other nations and avoid all wars not related to direct territorial
self-defense.# There should be legal barriers to prevent trade and cultural exchange with people in other states.
"Isolationism" has always been a debated topic,as in whether or not a country should be or should not be isolationist. All the first world countries (the UK, United States, etc.) function on a world economy. Some will argue that removing oneself from such an economy could be potentially helpful, though this is a debated and undecided topic. Regardless, there are examples for this and vice versa that all seem to some extent valid. Some argue that deficit, inflation, and
stagflation problems would be essentially removed by an isolationist economy. One must consider however, the numerous counter-examples to this argument, such as the Great Depression, a United States decade of poverty and hunger during its isolationist reign. It was the second World War and the world economy following it that pulled the economy back from its mingled remnants and started a financial era of prosperity. Having said that, there is also some evidence that points the other way.
American isolationism
Following the sacrifices
First World War, the
United States population turned to isolationism during the 1920s, opposing any action by the government that would drag the country into another European war. This isolationist tendency led to the imposition of
tariffs, thought to be a significant factor in causing the
Great Depression. American isolationism came to an end during
World War II, particularly following the
Japanese attack at
Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Isolationism in Japan
From 1641 to 1853, the
Tokugawa shogunate of
Japan enforced a policy which it called
sakoku. The policy prohibited foreign contact except with China, Korea, and
Holland. During this time, the culture of Japan developed in ways mostly free of influence from the outside world and had one of the longest stretches of peace in history.
*
Cole, Wayne S. Charles A. Lindbergh and the Battle against American Intervention in World War II (1974)*
Cole, Wayne S. America First: The Battle against Intervention, 1940-41 (1953)*
Kennedy, Thomas C. Charles A. Beard and American Foreign Policy (1975)*
Sakoku*
United States isolationism*
Monroe Doctrine
