Important Presidential Doctrines to Remember!

A brief review of a few presidential doctrines representing changes in American foreign policy:

Monroe Doctrine:

Date: 1823

The Monroe Doctrine expressed that the United States would oppose European colonization in the Americas. In his seventh State of the Union address, Monroe stated, “With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not ... and shall not interfere, but with the Governments ... whose independence we have ... acknowledged, we [would] view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing ... or controlling [them], by any European power ... as an unfriendly disposition toward the United States.” The main idea of the Monroe Doctrine was that Europe was supposed to respect the United States’ influence in the Western Hemisphere. This doctrine has been emphasized throughout history by other American leaders such as John F. Kennedy.

Roosevelt Corollary (to the Monroe Doctrine):

Date: 1904

The Venezuela Crisis of 1902-1903 led to President Roosevelt’s addition to the Monroe Doctrine. By the time of the Roosevelt Corollary, the United States was more confident than it had been in 1823, and Roosevelt brought up the idea of the United States being able to “exercise international police power in ‘flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence.’” Office of the Historian provides, “Over the long term the corollary had little to do with relations between the Western Hemisphere and Europe, but it did serve as justification for U.S. intervention in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.”

Truman Doctrine:

Date: 1947

The Truman Doctrine was an extremely important step regarding the position of the United States in the Cold War. Further, it was Truman’s speech to Congress in which the Truman Doctrine was expressed that is considered the official declaration of the Cold War. The Truman Doctrine refers to Truman’s statement that the United States would provide economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey, as the countries were in danger of falling to the communist Soviet Union. This doctrine is very closely associated with “containment,” as Truman’s plan, to which Congress quickly appropriated $400,000,000, was an early effort of the United States in the Cold War to prevent the further spread of communism.

Carter Doctrine:

Date: 1980

In this doctrine, President Carter asserted that the Persian Gulf was of significant importance to the United States, and the United States would be willing to take action if this interest was threatened. Carter’s expression that “an attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force” was very clear and direct. The Carter Doctrine provided an important position, considering the very complex timeline of the involvement of the United States in the Middle East that would continue to unfold.

Reagan Doctrine:

Date: 1985

The Reagan Doctrine was a shift in Cold War foreign policy from the Truman Doctrine. Reagan proclaimed in his State of the Union address, “We must stand by our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives—on every continent, from Afghanistan to Nicaragua—to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth,” emphasizing that his foreign policy would be defined by more direct action to fight against the Soviet Union, as they tried to continue spreading communism. While Reagan’s mention of Nicaragua is a reminder of a scandal during his time in office, the Iran-Contra affair, Reagan was a very popular president. Although Reagan’s more aggressive words like his reference to the “evil empire” and his demand that Gorbachev “tear down this wall” did elicit criticism from some, the official end to the Cold War would finally take place just shortly after he left office.

Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/top-six-foreign-policy-doctrines-105473

https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=23

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/roosevelt-and-monroe-doctrine

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-doctrine-is-announced

https://www.britannica.com/event/Truman-Doctrine

http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/Doctrines-The-carter-doctrine.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-reagan-doctrine-is-announced