ABSTRACT
The foreign policy of the US is like that of all nations: it has been a mixture of self-interest and an attempt to act according to commonly held ideals. Its history of settlement and immigration is another major influence on the character of US foreign policy. The first period in the history of American foreign affairs covers the years from 1776 until around 1830. During this time, US policy toward other countries resembled that of the newly established Third World nations in the twentieth century. The second period of American foreign policy overlaps with the first but extends into the early years of the twentieth century. In the late 1940s, by working to meet the communist threat, the US revolutionized its foreign policy. It kept its military forces near wartime levels, extended mandatory military service into peacetime, and continued its military build-up. Critics known as the 'anti-imperialists' actively opposed overseas expansion. In the 1930s, however, isolationism replaced this limited internationalism.
