In the aftermath of WWII, the US stood as one of the few powers relatively unharmed, as well as the sole nation in possession of nuclear weapons. This afforded the US a great degree of power and leadership in the world. However the USSR was another great power that managed to avoid much destruction from the war, and besides being ideologically opposed, matters were complicated after the USSR developed nuclear weapons for itself. This prompted the formulation of a new foreign policy. Document 7 states that the US “must organize and enlist the energies and resources of the free world in a positive program for peace which will frustrate the Kremlin design for world domination.”
President Truman reflected on the importance of the United Nations and military involvement by stating, “… I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures…” (Document B). However, during this particular time period, America remained one of the only nations actively fighting against communism. Most European countries were subjected to financial duress caused by World War II, thus placing the burden squarely on America’s shoulders. This inexplicable lack of support not only made America relatively weaker, but also allowed communism to spread throughout areas in which they people were not even willing to fight for themselves.
The second document highlights the National Security Council 68, a central document of the Cold War that laid out the strategic foundation for American foreign policy after the devastating decline of western European powers during World War II left the United States and Soviet Union as the dominant nations. The National Security Council argues that the Soviet Union poses a threat due to “being animated by a new fanatic faith” in communism to impose “absolute authority over the world” (Doc 2). This type of behavior is anti-ethical to the American values, so the fight between America and the Soviet Union was inevitable. The document outlined possible responses of isolation, diplomatic efforts to negotiate, or the rapid buildup of strength of
Part two, Covert Action, of Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, by Stephen Kinzer, presents situations in Iran, Chile, South Vietnam, and Guatemala where covert actions were used to abolish governments that the United States claimed had communist influence and intentions. These threats were misguided, but the excuse was used to justify the actions to the public. The true intention of these interventions was to protect American businesses in foreign countries. These interferences are still causing problems for all countries involved.
Post World War II, US policy was tailored to the demands of the Cold War with the USSR, and successive administrations actively worked to undermine communist governments from Indonesia to Iran to Cuba. When Salvador Allende, a professed socialist with strong communist sympathies won the election in Chile in 1970, he was treated by President Nixon and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger as a grave threat to the US. Chile was, after all, in the US’s backyard, and if Allende was allowed to remain as president, the USSR could conceivably make inroads into Latin America, threatening the US’s geopolitical interests both in the Western hemisphere and worldwide.1 This paper argues that the Nixon administration actively undermined the Allende government by working with anti-communist opposition parties and the Chilean army. It provided funds for anti-Allende propaganda, demonstration and strikes to create chaos in the country so that an army takeover of the government could be justified as a means
During the domination of the Dulles brothers’, regime changes and assassinations were occurring in Iran, Guatemala, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cuba, and the Congo. The CIA’s justification for the regime change and fighting the communists was the belief that communism was going to control the entire world, and of course, to keep the people of America safe. The brothers were able to overthrow regimes in Iran and Guatemala because they were a democratic societies making it simple for covert operations to taint their people, however they were unable to do so in Cuba and Vietnam due to its dictatorship society. Because they ruthlessly implemented their power against these countries, the direction of these countries may have been for the better if they did not interfere. It is necessary to understand what the Dulles brothers did and why they did it because it helps us to understand why the United States act the way it does, and to explore what brought about how America went wrong during the Cold War.
Throughout history and even today, the United States continues to be a key power in world affairs. This was not the case during the early days of the United States’ construction when the country was establishing its foundation of government and organizing the country’s policies and procedures. One of the many documents written for this purpose was the Monroe Doctrine. This lesser-known document paved the way for the current foreign policy that we have today. However, our current policy has changed drastically from the original document as the United States has grown in world power.
A Nation’s foreign policy is shaped by the
It is no doubt that the Monroe Doctrine has become a staple in the study of American foreign policy. Since the establishment of the nation, America’s role in foreign policy has been questioned and under constant scrutiny. In his Farewell Address, George Washington warned of foreign entanglement. Stemming from Washington’s warning to Monroe’s doctrine – a disagreement has grown, what is the American role in the World. It was President James Monroe’s doctrine that ushered in a new belief for America’s role.
With great power comes great responsibility. That of moral, political and economic power has divided America into three different selections. That power must be managed and not push upon other countries and their views… we must be strong in our political moves, military gains, and economic growth. Which in turn scared our “ally” friends into believing we will take over there the way of life and turn it into an American way of
After winning the first World War, the US was established as a regional hegemony, and that was very powerful. Because of this, the US wanted to demonstrate the new power for the rest of the world, and began to intervene in many Latin American countries. A very serious example comes from Guatemala, where the military dictator Efraim Rios Montt, who was influenced by the US, the human rights of many people was violated. While the US does not speak much of the atrocities that occurred in Guatemala and accepts no responsibility for the violation of human rights that many military dictators did, it is clear that the US had influence on most negative practices in Latin America. An analysis of the country under Rios Montt and the influence of the United States in relation to recent policies of Guatemala will serve as evidence that interventions were not justified or necessary, and very serious consequences for Guatemala cause.
This song is written by both Kanye West and Jay-Z, who are both African American rap artists. The purpose of Made in America is to highlight the gruelling past of African-Americans, such as the limited number of rights afforded to them as well as slavery. Moreover, the song also aims at informing the listener of the bright present and future for African Americans to look forward to. In the immediate beginning of the song, the listener notices a hook that sums up the understandings of the whole song. Kanye and Jay both make references to Martin Luther King Jr and his wife Coretta, as well as Malcolm X and his wife Betty Shabbaz, together they started the civil rights movement and ensured a prosperous lifestyle for black America as a whole.
Stalin and his successors pushed an agenda that included not only the creation of Soviet client states in Eastern and Central Europe, but also a tendency to support leftwing liberation movements everywhere, particularly when they espoused anti-American sentiment. As a result, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) engaged in numerous proxy wars in the Third World.” (Locke and
Since the Spanish-American war, the U.S. has adopted the notion that it is the “guardian of freedom” and will defend the concepts of democracy and Christian morality, worldwide. This assumption of power over lesser countries saw its birth in the Spanish-American War, It was disastrously applied to combating communism in Korea and Vietnam, and is one of the platforms of the War on Terror. To implement this strategy the public must be persuaded that sending troops overseas is the only thing that can be done. News is made interesting by showing carnage, and the oppression of people by despotic powers, sowing sympathy and spreading fear and hate. The U.S. also makes every effort to assert that it is doing the “right” thing by sending troops to areas of the world that pose no immediate threat to them.
As the United States started to expand and venture into a new and global age, it also started to intervene in other governments and marketplaces. In a new age known as “The Progressive Era”, so named for the many movements to take place during this time. As African American and women voters sought out their freedom to vote, and workers demanded more wagers and citizens demanded better politics, America was doing a great amount of changing. Beginning with American intervention in foreign countries, Aa perfect example is the, “Open Door Policy”, and the venture to keep free trade with China. As the U.S wanted to keep buying from and selling to the Chinese, it did everything possible to ensure this happened.
