American Foreign Policy in the Making, 1932–1940

Charles A. Beard's American Foreign Policy in the Making, 1932–1940 is a work that critiques President Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign policy, suggesting Roosevelt maneuvered the U.S. into war with Japan. Beard, an influential American historian, is known for his socioeconomic analysis of U.S. political institutions.1

The period of 1932–1940 saw a rise in American isolationism, influenced by the Great Depression and a belief that U.S. involvement in World War I was due to arms merchants and bankers. This sentiment led to the passage of Neutrality Acts, which prohibited the sale of war materials to belligerents and restricted exports. Despite this isolationist trend, the U.S. also pursued the Good Neighbor Policy, aiming to foster unity and nonintervention within the Western Hemisphere.2