The end of the Second World War marked a fundamental shift in America's security that profoundly affected the nation's society, culture, and identity. Prior to World War II, America felt secure with the protection provided by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The country limited its engagement abroad and did not provide foreign aid to any appreciable degree. After World War II, with the beginning of the Cold War (1946–1991) and the proliferation of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the United States could not return to its prewar isolationism. Not only did this change require Americans to rearm but also to become directly involved in restoring prosperity in Europe and in the economic and political welfare of developing nations in the world. Through foreign aid programs, America sought to spread its ideals and to combat the Communist threat to the nation's security.

In the years after...