ABSTRACT
The United States had come into existence, Southern Africa’s importance as the gateway to the Indian Ocean had increased, particularly with the bustling commercial activity of the new nation. The United States adhered to isolationism, a national policy of avoiding entanglement in foreign affairs. The United States considered Britain a force for progress in South Africa. Moreover, it believed that Britain would protect and foster the non-political objectives of the United States in South Africa. Under the Mandate system, instituted to govern the colonies of defeated powers, South Africa received South West Africa, the independence of which was a prominent issue until 1990 and in which the United States had a major role to play. It was during World War I that the United States made an entry into the South African economy in a significant manner. As regards diplomatic relations between the United States and South Africa, the interwar period was of significance.
