America

            America's desire to establish an economic empire determined most of its foreign policy between the Civil War and the end of World War II, and fueled the U.S. into three wars: the Spanish-American War, WWI, and WWII. At the end of the 19th century, the U.S. used the "open door policy" with the motives of achieving free trade and control over Cuba to enter a war against Spain. Then, during World War I, Wilson resolved to stay neutral, yet the thought of economic gains and pressure from the business sector induced his changing of policy. A decade later, as in the previously mentioned wars, the driving force in World War II was profit. The U.S.'s involvement in World War II was greatly influenced by the interests of the industrialists and political leaders. The U.S. did not enter the war in order to stop fascism and religious oppression. .
             At the end of the 19th century the "open door policy" led the United States into conflict with Spain. After the battle at Wounded Knee (1890), which resulted in the closing of the internal frontier, America's need for economic expansion grew due to limited domestic expansion. (Zinn, 297) America's market became so saturated, that it had to start expanding outward to make a profit. Cuba was an excellent place, since the U.S. already had investments there. "The volume of trade between the United States and Cuba, which in 1889 amounted to about $64,000,000, rose in 1893 to about $103,000,000." (Zinn, 303) Cuban rebels began conflicts with Spain in an effort to gain independence. According to Zinn, "there may have been fear that the rebels would win on their own and keep the United States out." (Zinn, 303) Negotiations with Spain were also taking too long, so the U.S. decided to use the "open door policy," as an excuse to enter in a war against Spain. In doing this, the Cubans would allow American investments to continue in the country and Spain would have no right to shut America out.