American foreign policy towards key Asian issues 1939-1945 (the Far East, Southeast Asia, Türkiye) as a case study

Abstract

The study of international foreign policy, particularly that of the United States, holds significant historical and political importance. It serves as a vital source of historical and political information for researchers and observers interested in the evolution and impact of a nation's foreign policy on regional and international relations. Understanding how these policies influence and reflect current realities by linking them to the history of a specific country during a particular era, such as World War II (1939-1945), is crucial. Examining these relationships and the factors that influence and control them provides an indicator of the strength or weakness of political ties between nations, especially a country like the United States. Competition and conflict over strategic regions, such as the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Turkey, along with the division of spheres of influence, have become defining features of the relationships among major powers that shape global affairs throughout modern and contemporary history.

The significance of this topic lies in understanding the strategies and planning employed by the United States through its State Department to overcome challenges and win over warring, non-warring, and neutral nations, particularly those in Southeast Asia, the Far East, and Turkey, without engaging in direct conflict with them. This policy began during the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, who provided subsequent administrations with important lessons in international relations under various frameworks, most notably the Good Neighbor Policy and efforts to counterbalance Germany, the Soviet Union, and Japan, which were among their top priorities.