From “Lend-Lease” to “Containment”: The Transformation of American Foreign Policy (1941-1963)

Abstract

During World War II, Japan’s surprise attack brought great humiliation to the United States, and voices calling for participation in the war grew increasingly strong. President Roosevelt, possessing an internationalist consciousness, utilized “fireside chats” to break through the prevailing isolationist sentiment and actively engage in international affairs. Taking the Lend-Lease Act as the starting point, the United States gradually positioned itself at the center of global currents. However, after the war, fundamental conflicts between ideology and national interests led the United States and the Soviet Union toward mutual hostility. Consequently, the United States transformed its overall postwar diplomatic plans and, using George Kennan’s containment policy as a blueprint, began to formulate a foreign policy strategy that would permeate the entire Cold War era.