Page "Foreign policy of the United States" Paragraph 11

After the war, the U. S. rose to become the dominant non-colonial economic power with broad influence in much of the world, with the key policies of the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine.

Almost immediately however, the world witnessed division into broad two camps during the Cold War ; one side was led by the U. S., and the other by the Soviet Union, but this situation also led to the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement.

This period lasted until almost the end of the 20th century, and is thought to be both an ideological and power struggle between the two superpowers.

A policy of containment was adopted to limit Soviet expansion, and a series of proxy wars were fought with mixed results.

In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into separate nations, and the Cold War formally ended as the United States gave separate diplomatic recognition to the Russian Federation and other former Soviet states.

With these changes to forty-five years of established diplomacy and military confrontation, new challenges confronted U. S. policymakers.

U. S. foreign policy is characterized still by a commitment to free trade, protection of its national interests, and a concern for human rights.