III. The Cold World: The United States Disseminates its Power in a Bi-Polar World

(1945-1990)

 

How does the United States affirm its domination over the West during the Cold War?

The U.S. and the World post WWII

A. Leader of the Free World 1945-1960

•In the aftermath of WWII, the U.S. decides to permanently turn the page on isolationism•Assumes full responsibility for their position of power•Aims to avoid a new world conflict like in 1917 and 1941•From 1947 onwards, they become the leaders of the West in the Cold War which sets them against the USSR and its allies

The Vandenberg Resolution• 1945, Senator Vendenberg publicly announces his conversion from “isolationism” to “internationalism“

• 1947, at the start of the Cold War, Vandenberg cooperated with the Truman administration in forging bipartisan support for the Truman doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO, including presenting the critical Vandenberg resolution. 

• The Vandenberg Resolution – – landmark action that opened the way to the negotiation of the North Atlantic Treaty. 

– concept of such an alliance first arose during the Pentagon Talks in Washington in March 

– American action would have been stymied without the Senate action endorsing an internationalist role for the United States

1. Total Commitment against Communism

• Defenders of liberty and democracy• Commit to fighting communism all around the world

but avoid direct military confrontation with their adversary

• Application of Containment Policy– Bilateral and multilateral agreements to encircle the USSR

and to prevent them from extending their communist influence.

Display of Military Strength• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

– Originally the US and 11 other members– A threat to any NATO nation would involve all NATO nations

• Double land and sea military bases• Berlin airlift (1948-1949)• Korean War (1950-1953)

Creation of the NSC and CIA • National Security Act of 1947 creates

the Department of Defense–Pentagon is built–National Security Council is created

to advise the President•NSC–68 allowed for the President to quadruple military spending

–Peacetime draft is created• CIA Central Intelligence Agency

created

CIA• Three major tasks:– 1. To coordinate the information

gathering activities of all State, Defense, & other federal agencies involved in the areas of foreign affairs & national defense.

– 2. To analyze & evaluate all data collected by those agencies.

– 3. To brief the President & NSC.• CIA conducts worldwide intelligence

operations.• Espionage—Spying• Much of work in secret---budget is

disguised.

NATO• Created in 1949• A defensive alliance

to protect from Soviet aggression– An attack on one

is an attack on all–Warsaw pack is

the Soviet response

• US gets entangled in a foreign alliance

• US hegemony by consensus Video: Empire – what & where is

NATO

• Berlin Blockade---Split of Berlin into four sectors (Soviet, U.S., British, French.)

• 1948, Soviets tried to force the other nations out, with a land blockade.

• U.S. airlift for 1 ½ years.

Berlin Airlift 1948-1949

– US foreign policy change: containment roll back

– South Korea(non-communist) attacked by North Korea (communist)

–War lasted three years, but peace terms never agreed upon.

– U.S./South Korea (UN) vs. North Korea/China– After much back and forth manoeuvers, border remained the same as beginning of war: 38th parallel

Korean War 1950

2. Economic and Financial Hegemony• U.S. by far the leading economic world power– Industrially

• Produced 43% of world steel & 65% automobiles in 1955

– Commercially• U.S. Merchant fleets represent 2/3 of world tonnage

– Financially• U.S. foreign investment from $6 B in 1946 to $30 B in 1959• Bretton Woods establishes the supremacy of the dollar• Dominant U.S. position in new international monetary institutions– IMF + World Bank

• GATT agreements 1947, based on free trade principles favor dominant economy of the U.S.

Truman Doctrine• Greece & Turkey are on verge of collapse to communism and Truman is forced to make a momentous decision

• Truman Doctrine– Policy of containment is introduced (Keenan)– Communism is evil and it must not be allowed to spread

– US provided $400 million of economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey

• 1947, Truman requested a massive program of economic & military aid to Europe

Marshall Plan –Billions of dollars  given to European nations • Help them rebuild and survive• Help keep communism isolated• Aid given to Ally and Axis nations• Develop potential markets for US products in Europe

–Enables the U.S. to monitor the economic policy of its allies and to consolidate the cohesion of the West 

In millions of dollars

United Kingdom 2,826France 2,445Italy 1,316West Germany 1,297The Netherlands 877Belgium & Luxemburg 561Greece 547Denmark 257Norway 237Turkey 153Others 749TOTAL 11,780

Distribution of Marshall Plan Aid

Marshall Plan Aid to Europe

1948-1952

B. A Time of Uncertainty (1960-1980)1. Rivaled Supremacy

USSR challenges US leadership in certain fields– set off a nuclear bomb in 1949– catch up in the arms race– establish principle of MAD (mutually

assured destruction)–Surpass the U.S. in nuclear weapons in

70’s–Space race, • 1st to send satellite into orbit 1957 - Sputnik

Vietnam War (1964-1973)

• Defeat of Containment policy• Disastrous consequences for image

of U.S.• Despite military power, unable to

stop progression of communism in SE Asia

• Violence committed and covered in the media provoke massive dissension within the U.S.

2. Contested Domination• Western Bloc breaks up in the 1960’s– France under de Gaulle contests U.S.

hegemony• France leaves military section of NATO

1966– Latin America• Economic and political control by

Washington disputed• 1960 Castro leads Communist revolution

in Cuba• 1965 Dominican Republic U.S. military

intervention• 1973 U.S. planned coup against Allende

in Chile, supports Pinochet• U.S. supports coups d’états, extreme

right dictators, military intervention

• Video: CIA Guatemala

C. U.S. Victors of the Cold War (1980-90)1. Strategic and Diplomatic Victory• Reagan’s administration – return of

offensive policy– Fight the “Empire of Evil”–Military spending increased– SDI relaunches arms race• Knowing USSR doesn’t have economic or

technological means to compete

–Goal to fight communism from within - Rollback

• Arrival of Mikhaël Gorbachev alters the scenario– Recognizes need to reform Soviet

system and negotiate with the U.S.–Nuclear Disarmament

• Washington accords 1987 • SALT accords 1991

• Fall of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe 1989-90

• Reunification of Germany 1990• Break-up of Soviet Union 1991• U.S. peaceful victory of the Cold War –

rival collapses

2. Ideological Victory– Values of U.S. – liberal

economy triumphs in 1980’s– Capitalism reaches Eastern

Europe & China (even prior to political reform)–Democracy progresses in Latin

America, SE Asia and South Africa

U.S. Power at its Apogee – uncontested and universal• U.S. continues to preserve its

interests• Supports non-democratic regimes

if necessary•Middle East• Egypt•Oil Monarchies of Arab Peninsula

The Middle East• The U.S. in Iran 1953–Coup d’état orchestrated by the U.S. and the UK–CIA published a false report to spark the coup–Prime Minister overthrown •Attempted to reduce power of the Shah – instate democracy•Nationalize Iranian oil industry (owned by Anglo-Iranian company)

Reading Assignments Part 3Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe (2 pages)• Part 1 War and International Relations (read last year)• 8. The Spread of Communism outside Europe and its effects on international relations, pp. 

142-168• Part IV The United States of America• 23.4 Nixon and Watergate; Foreign Policy, p. 496. Jimmy Carter, pp. 497. Reagan and

foreign policy problems, pp. 499

The Unfinished Nation by Alan Brinkley• Chapter 31: the ordeal of liberalism (6 pages)• Flexible Response and the Cold War, pp. 824-827• The Agony of Vietnam, pp. 827-830• Chapter 32: The Crisis of Authority (5 pages)• Nixon, Kissinger, and the War, pp. 860-865• Chapter 33: From the Age of Limits to the Age of Reagan (6 pages)• Human Rights and National Interests, pp. 882-883• The Year of the Hostages, pp. 883-884• Reagan and the World, pp. 895-896• The Bush Presidency & the Gulf War, pp. 901-904The Cold War and U.S. Foreign Policy, by Howard Zinn (3 pages)