The U.S., the Original Non-Aligned Nation

Throughout most of our Founding Fathers’ lives, Europe was at war more often than not. Before the American Revolution, there was the Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763), which we call the French and Indian War. Before that conflict, there was the War of the Austrian Succession (1740 – 1748), which overlapped the Seven Years’ War, and before that, the conflict was the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 – 1714).

The point is that between 1700 and 1775, England and France had been at war more often than they were at peace. Then, the American Revolution happened, and again, England was pitted against France, which was supporting our effort to win independence. The American Revolution lasted eight years and four months.

In 1792, just nine years after the United States became independent in 1783, the French Revolutionary Wars began. England, again, was pitted against France, and allied with Prussia, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and many others in an effort to restore the Bourbon monarchy. Also known as the War of the First Coalition (1792 – 1798), it was followed by the War of the Second Coalition (1798 – 1802), which had the same goal.

Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, President Washington, along with most of our Founding Fathers, watched this chaos unfold and wanted no part of it. Both France and England wanted U.S. support. The French, because they felt that they came to our side in time of need, and the British, because they believed we had more to gain by siding with them.

On April 22nd, 1793, President Washington issued the Neutrality Proclamation. The four-paragraph letter, sent to all European capitals, made it clear that the United States would not become a belligerent or ally with a belligerent. It also made it clear that if a U.S. citizen becomes involved in the war, he or she has committed a crime and forfeits any protection that the U.S. could or would provide.

For the next 155 years, the United States steadfastly avoided any alliance that would require the U.S. to commit its Armed Forces in defense of another nation. We were neutral and inwardly focused. Our leaders had a nation to build, and unfortunately, a Civil War to fight.

The United States is blessed with two oceans, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico as moats. In many ways, these large bodies of water give us a national security advantage few other countries enjoy.

It was not until the United States signed the not well-known Rio Treaty in 1948, which loosely committed the United States to defend Central and South American countries against aggression by a European power. This treaty made additional commitments beyond what is in the Monroe Doctrine. The Rio Treaty has had a checkered history, with some signatories withdrawing and then rejoining, and others violating its charter.

The one that most point to as the treaty that signifies the end of the U.S.’s non-aligned policy is the NATO Treaty. Signed by U.S. negotiators on April 4th, 1949. It was ratified by Congress on July 21st, 1949, and President Truman signed the ratification on July 25th, 1949.

After World War II, we signed a mutual defense treaty with the Republic of China, now known as Taiwan, in 1954. U.S. forces stationed in Taiwan deterred the PRC from invading. The agreement expired in 1979 when the Carter Administration elected not to renew it, claiming that, as President, he had the right to annul a treaty as well as negotiate one. In the case of Carter vs. Goldwater, the Supreme Court agreed. 1979 was also the year that the Carter Administration established diplomatic relations with the PRC. Ending this treaty was part of the agreement to have formal relations with the PRC.

Since the NATO treaty was ratified, the U.S. has signed mutual defense treaties with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, and South Korea, which commit the U.S. to come to their defense if attacked. NATO now has 32 members, which means the U.S. is obligated to come to the defense of 37 nations around the world if they are attacked.

George Washington must be rolling over in his grave because these treaties are just the type of foreign entanglements that he and the majority of our Founding Fathers wanted to avoid.