The aftermath of World War I confirmed the importance of isolationism to many Americans. The “war to end all wars” ultimately failed to live up to its name, and Americans were wary of once again of getting involved in foreign conflicts. Before the start of World War II, the idea of the United States as a leading global power was not an ambition of American politicians. Most Americans remained content to let other powers, such as Great Britain, fill that role. By the end of World War II, however, the United States stood as one of two leading global powers, alongside the Soviet Union, which had experienced a similarly unexpected rise to power. Far from the isolationism that characterized US global politics, the immediate aftermath of World War II established a clear desire among American political and economic leaders to protect this newfound power and to secure the United States as the leader of the “free world.”