...Latin American Politics and DevelopmentThe Cold War, the Cuban Revolution, the spread of guerilla warfare and the doctrine of National Security in Latin America | During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought together as allies against the Axis powers. However, the relationship between the two nations was a tense one. Americans had long been wary of Soviet communism and concerned about Russian leader Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical rule of his own country. For their part, the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Russians. After the war ended, these grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity. Post-war Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fuelled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as American officials’ rhetoric, arms build-up and interventionist approach to international relations. By the time World War II ended, most American officials agreed that the best defence against the Soviet threat was a strategy called “containment.” In 1946, in his famous “Long Telegram,” the diplomat George Kennan explained this policy, The Soviet Union, he wrote, was “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus vivendi...
Words: 1861 - Pages: 8
...the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, towards Latin America during his term in office between 1961 and 1963. Kennedy voiced support for the containment of Communism and the reversal of Communist progress in the Western Hemisphere. The Kennedy Doctrine was essentially an expansion of the foreign policy prerogatives of the previous administrations of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman. The foreign policies of these presidents all revolved around the threat of communism and the means by which the United States would attempt to contain the spread of it. The Truman Doctrine focused on the containment of communism by providing assistance to countries resisting communism in Europe while the Eisenhower Doctrine was focused upon providing both military and economic assistance to nations resisting communism in the Middle East and by increasing the flow of trade from the United States into Latin America. The Kennedy Doctrine was based on these same objectives but was more concerned with the spread of communism and Soviet influence in Latin America following the Cuban revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power under Eisenhower during the 1950s. Some of the most notable events that stemmed from tenets of JFK’s foreign policy initiatives in regard to Latin America and the spread of communism were: The Bay of Pigs Invasion, April 17, 1961, Increase of U.S. involvement in Vietnam War, 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, October, 1962, and Ratification of Nuclear...
Words: 2302 - Pages: 10
...The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Djuan Sanders Professor Benjamin Webb Pol 300 November 18, 2012 The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy President Lyndon. B. Johnson (1963-1969) The President which I have selected for my doctrine analysis is President L. B. Johnson who was the 36th president of the U.S. Lyndon B. Johnson served the nation for four years. Johnson was a democrat from Texas and after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Johnson became the president of the U.S.. Johnson’s involvement in the Vietnam War will always be remembered, as he increased the American involvement in the matter of Vietnam. Due to this decision, the vision of the United States push towards peace and prosperity was distorted and reversed. Johnson was highly criticized due to Vietnam War and was succeeded by Richard Nixon who was a member of the Republican Party. Americans voted republican because the Democratic party was divided into different feuding fractions during the time of Lyndon. B. Johnson. The Doctrine of Johnson was articulated after the intervention of the Dominican Republic in United States in 1965. The domestic revolution was also declared by Johnson stating that intervention of Dominican Republic in the Western Hemisphere is not a local matter. The doctrine of Johnson is considered to be an extension of the Kennedy’s Doctrine. It is considered that this doctrine was proposed to oppose the movements of democracy in Latin America which was in favor of military dictatorship...
Words: 1272 - Pages: 6
...Kendall Christy History 106 Week 7 Discussion Assignment 5/16 The Cold War leader were the NATO and the Soviet Bloc but the United States had close relationships with Latin America which eventually got them somewhat involved in the power struggle. Americans started intervening in Latin American political affairs in order to keep communism from spreading to them. Latin Americans disenchantment with the United States started with the Marshall Plan in 1947, which was the American aid to help rebuild European countries after the end of World War II in order to prevent the spread of communism. More trouble started when the United States viewed Latin America as “creeping communists”. Some of the leaders of Latin American countries were viewed as having some communist ways of leading their people. In the Born in the Blood and Fire reading it talked about how Latin Americans would often accuse one another of being communist which led to fighting, especially Indian land owning groups. This scared the United States because they and the NATO were trying to stop the spread of communism and the Soviet Bloc. In order to prevent this the United States would spend a ton of money trying to influence the outcome of political elections in Latin American countries with leaders they liked. In Venezuela in 1947 the U.S endorsed dictator Marco Revez Jimenez won the election with the help of the United States government. And in Guatemala when Jacobo Arbenz was the leader the U.S prepared a coup...
Words: 398 - Pages: 2
...United States foreign policy is the way in which it defines its interactions with foreign nations and sets standards for its corporation’s organizations, and individual citizens’ interactions. It aims to assure defense and security of America. It protects and projects national interests of America worldwide. The foreign policy is shaped national interest and covers a wide range of economic, political, ideological, military, and humanitarian concerns. However, U.S. foreign policy heavily relies on being in good relations with other countries. The U.S. has a history of maintaining a realist ideology when it comes to getting into relationships with other countries. With an imperialistic view as such, they have had a hard time maintaining good...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
...10 history assessment During the cold war the USA and USSR had policies that contributed to the conflict. The policies had an overall affect on the world as it prepared for what seemed like World War III. After World War II the two remaining superpowers were Russia and America, and there was a struggle for political and military superiority from 1947 to 1991. There was no major large scale fighting between the two nations however their ideals and movements were used to support countries and fight each other through proxy wars such as Vietnam and Korea. The world looked as if it was on the brink of thermonuclear destruction as the threat of nuclear missiles became more apparent and as America did its best to stop them without starting a war. Families stockpiled food and waited for the two nations policies to drag them into war and inevitable, to death. Australia, along with many Western countries, feared the communistic spread as if it were an epidemic. Post-war propaganda scared the Australian public, telling them that all safety and way of life was at threat by the communist countries in Asia and as each one fell to communism, Australia was one step closer annihilation. The picture in Source A shows not only the USSR’s policy in creating a buffer of friendly states to protect themselves but also the Western fears that Communism would...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
...The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Strayer University Summer 2014 The purpose of the Reagan Doctrine was to “sponsor anticommunist guerrillas who are trying to overthrow pro-Soviet regimes” (Roskin, 2010, p.58). It was implemented in the mid-1980’s; specifically mentioned in a discrete manner in President Reagan’s 1985 State of the Union Address and lasted less than a decade, until the end of the Cold War in 1991. One of the major challenges that President Reagan faced throughout his time in office was Communism and the Cold War. Although these issues had been a problem through several presidencies, they began to escalate in the early years of Reagan’s administration. Reagan believed that President Carter provided minimal leadership to reverse communism. In 1985 President Reagan introduced the principles of the doctrine through support of anti-communist revolutions. During his State of the Union Address in 1985 he compared, “anticommunist forces with American colonists who had fought the revolutionary war, describing those latter-day patriots as ‘freedom fighters’ for democracy” (“The Reagan Doctrine”, 2014, par. 2). The doctrine was created to decrease the Soviet influence in Africa, Asia and Latin America as part of the Reagan administration’s Cold War strategy (Reagan Doctrine, 2014). It has been argued that the Reagan doctrine contributed to the fall of communism itself. One of the diplomatic efforts that occurred during Reagan’s time in office was the support...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
...Running head: LATIN AMERICA AND AMERICAN INFLUENCE 2 Introduction What principal nations of Latin America entered in the twentieth century that was varying of stages? Thesis: Latin America entered the twentieth century of political and economic development that proved turbulent. Following the political and economic development, WWII and the Cold War made it not able to function throughout the Western Hemisphere. Latin Americas’ major nation started to become part of a wide and bigger complex of the global system. Of Course, Latin American had its’ concerns that were subordinated and superpower for their rivalries. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. was supporting military dictatorships in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. These countries feared...
Words: 1698 - Pages: 7
...Assignment 1 - The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy SHAMIKA WARD EMMANUEL OBUAH POL 300: Contemp Intl Problems May 31, 2013 The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy The Reagan Doctrine was the foreign policy in the United States, enacted by President Ronald Reagan. The doctrine was design to eradicate the communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that were authorized and corroborated by the Soviet Union. This assignment will review by what method the United States delivered open and private backing to guerrilla and resistance movements during the Regan years. Additionally, explain the political doctrine detailed events that occurred in Afghanistan when the Soviet Union invaded. As a final point, this assignment will define the benefits and drawbacks established on the Regan Doctrine. Summarize the Situation of U.S. Diplomatic of the Regan Doctrine During the course of the initial years of the Cold War, Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter all endorsed dogmas against communism in order to enclose it. Ronald Regan prohibited their détente policy in 1979, when the Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan. This alone demonstrated that policies that only contain communism were unproductive. Regan criticized in the compromise policy when it emanated to any communist government. As an alternative, Reagan proposed the Rollback policy. The creation of the Reagan Doctrine moved from containment and dispersal to eradicating all current communist governments. Likewise...
Words: 1299 - Pages: 6
...Assignment 1: The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Annette Hickson Dr. John Cronin Strayer University POL300 – International Problems February 9, 2014 Introduction The Second World War forever changed how the United States viewed its role in foreign affairs. America understood it could no longer stand by and watch countries abroad occupy other nations without feeling any impact. In order to combat this threat, several presidents introduced ideologies to prevent the spread of communism and position America as a leader of the free world. America looked for ways to promote democracy around the world but it was met with opposition. The Soviet Union was not willing to conform to America’s way of life and this battle was the basis for the Cold War. The Sixties was an era in which the Freedom Movement gained momentum and Americans began to question whether or not the government was honest with the public (Schultz, 2012). Meanwhile, foreign policy would dominate as President Lyndon Johnson inherited the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. To better understand President Johnson’s ideals, this paper will summarize the situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during President Johnson’s time in office. Furthermore, President Johnson’s diplomatic doctrine will be analyzed with reference to specific actions and events. Finally, the effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries will be described to assess its impact...
Words: 1323 - Pages: 6
...Assignment 1: The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy By Cedric Rhynes Professor Emmanuel Obuah POL 300 05/11/2013 The 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, came into office at the height of the Cold War. The president decided to keep the foreign policy of his predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and also decided that he could expand upon that foreign policy doctrine. President Kennedy wanted to be able to provide the United States with the flexibility to respond to communist expansion. The President believed that the expansion of communism would become a direct threat to the United States and Europe. While Truman and Eisenhower created policies that were mainly based on containing communism in Europe and the Middle East, President Kennedy’s doctrine’s differed from his predecessors in that his doctrine focused on Latin America, especially leading up to and after the Cuban Revolution. President Kennedy believed that the United States should contain the spread of communism by using other alternative means. During President Kennedy’s term in office there were several diplomatic crises that challenged his foreign policy doctrine. The challenges included; The Bay of Pigs in 1961, The Vietnam War in 1962, and The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Although The Bay of Pigs and the United States involvement in Vietnam were seen as major efforts that supremely impacted U.S. foreign policy, it was the Cuban Missile Crisis that almost brought the United States to...
Words: 1083 - Pages: 5
...to make cloth. Social implications included opening of schools – even for women on a positive side and as a negative side, it led to overcrowding in the cities (which led to theft and prostitution), unemployment (people traveled to the cities to work in the factories and there weren’t enough jobs to go around), health concerns (sanitation and pollution) and child labor. Economic implications would include the rise of the two different classes – Capitalists (bankers, merchants, factory owners) and the working class (factory workers). 2. Discuss the population explosion, urbanization, and other demographic factors of the industrial Revolution. Also, discuss the growth of huge industrial cities during the 19th Century. (Bentley & Ziegler, chap.29) The population explosion during the industrial revolution happened because of the...
Words: 2380 - Pages: 10
...The cold war took place from 1947 to 1989. The term “Cold War” was first used by an American journalist called Walter Lippman. The reason that this term was used was because the war could not be described in the same way “conventional” war. The term was really used to describe the mistrust that existed between the two superpowers, The USA and The Soviet Union. However it is no argued that the war was just like any others but it was fought over other peoples countries and caused destruction for others rather than the two sates actually "at war” There was a huge amount of mistrust between these two major powers which is strange as they had been allies against Germany in the Second World War which had only ended a few years earlier. This alliance was one of mutual need in order to defeat the Germans and once the war was over a massive rift opened between the two countries because they had radically different views on world politics. This then raises the question of whether either country had any right to try and ‘influence other countries and world politics, which of course many argue they did not. Both countries wanted their politics and views to be adopted throughout the world, mainly simply for defensive purposes. The fact that that this was the main aim of the two major players in the war (and the world) meant almost by definition that the third world would be brought into the “Cold War”. The fact that both countries did not want to fire on each other for fear of total world...
Words: 2804 - Pages: 12
...essay on cold war ‘Account for the phenomenon, known as the cold war, which dominated world politics between 1945 - 1989. Evaluate the extent to which the principal nations involved fought proxy wars as a substitute for armed conflict with each other. In this essay I will discuss the extent to which the principal nations, mainly the USA and the Soviet Union fought proxy wars as a substitute for armed conflict with each other during the Cold War between 1945 – 1989. As the Second World War ended in 1945 with the victory of the allies, a new war was launched. It was a battle predominantly between the USA and the Soviet Union, between two conflicting ideologies: America’s capitalism versus and the Soviet Union’s communism. Ranging from two of the most devastating wars; the Korean War (1950) and the Vietnam war in the 60s, to the smaller conflicts in the Middle East and Africa in terms of the scale of the battle, every corner of the globe was involved in the Cold War. (Dunbabin 1994) The USA and the Soviet Union were the sole super powers at the end of the Second World War. There are a number of views regarding why the Cold war was unavoidable, and one of the reasons is that both countries were expansionist. The USA in particular was afraid of the Soviet sphere of influence over Europe in particular, believing that it needed to be contained. (Mowry, 1962) But on the part of the Soviet Union, it was also afraid of the USA’s power and its ideology which it believed to...
Words: 1538 - Pages: 7
...1953 he was elected to the Senate, served one term and was elected to serve a second term, while there he served as a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He won the 35th office of President in 1960 with one of the closest victories in the history of elections. He was the youngest president to be elected to the office at that time. (The Biography Channel webite. Retrieved 04:52) During his time in office, President Kennedy was drawn to foreign affairs due to the challenges brought on due to the Soviet Unions growing nuclear arsenal and the Cold War battle that provoked fear in the hearts and minds of third world nations. He capitalized on the spirit of activism and created the Peace Corps; by the end of the century over 170,000 volunteers would serve in 135 countries. He also created the Alliance for Progress to foster greater economic ties with Latin America with the hopes of eliminating poverty and preventing the spread of communism in that region. (The Biography Channel webite. Retrieved 04:52) President Kennedy doctrine was to support containment of Communism and the reversal of Communist progress in the Western Hemisphere “to respond flexibly to communist expansion, especially to guerrilla warfare”. (Roskin, 2010) The President understood that reforms were badly needed in order to avoid revolution. “Those who make...
Words: 889 - Pages: 4
