...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, the United States wanted...
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...Overthrow of Pro-Soviet Regimes. Jonathan Burton November 2nd 2011 Strayer University POL300 Professor Popova-Nowak In April of 1978 the pro-Soviet People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew a corrupted Afghan Republic and would begin a domino effect that would culminate on September 11th 2001 in the New York skyline. Jimmy Carter had put into effect a doctrine of stating out loud that the Persian Gulf was vital to United States foreign political interest but showed no open displays of force. Behind the scenes the CIA had be involved with the movement to oust the PDPA. This forced the Russian government to send in 5,000 troops. Their aim was to place a Soviet chosen leader into power and after twelve hours of intense fighting, Barbrak Karmal was put in a plane and flown back to Moscow. This would begin a decade long occupation by the Russians and the United States got what it wanted; A Soviet Vietnam. The United States went to great lengths to supply this war against Communism and the hatred of the Soviets. China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others poured in money, weapons, and military advisors to aid the Mujahideen, the new name of the resistance fighters the CIA was backing. This covert operation was run out of the CIA until March of 1985. February 6th of 1985, President Ronald Reagan laid out his doctrine in the State of the Union Address. “WE must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to...
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...Ben Fielder 18 November 2010 Soviet Intervention on Afghanistan When someone intervenes in your life, it’s usually to project their beliefs onto you and force you to stop a destructive behavior. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan, not to stop a destructive behavior, but to project their own wants and needs (for the oil and other resources) onto Afghan culture. Forcing them to submit to foreign rule, the people of Afghanistan fought back to protect their land, as a result creating a war that lasted for ten years. This conflict came to be known as the Soviet-Afghan War. Ultimately, the Soviet Union lost the war and retreated from Afghanistan. However, the effects of this war are still being felt today, as demonstrated in their foreign policies and political interactions with outside countries. Prior to the war, the Soviet Union was in control of the Afghan government. It was when Afghanistan made themselves a constitutional monarchy in 1953 (Origins of Soviet-Afghan War 1). It also began from a coup d’état by Afghan communists called the “Saur Revolution in 1978 (Afghanistan War 1). This created tensions between the Soviet Union’s puppet government and Afghan people, because they resented being ruled by a foreign power. Additionally the Soviet Union took advantage of the Afghan people by taking control of the oil fields, allowing the people to only keep a small percentage of the profits. The Soviet Union, to defend their interests continued...
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...The Carter Doctrine and the Effects in Afghanistan POL 300 July 28, 2013 Professor Koltochnik Adreion Rice Assignment 2 As recorded, The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by the president of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union address on January 23, 1980, which stated that United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interest in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union-the Cold war adversary of the United States-from seeking hegemony in the Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed “a grave threat to the free movement of middle east oil,” Carter proclaimed: The region which is now threatened by Soviet troops in Afghanistan is of great strategic importance: It contains more than two-thirds of the world's exportable oil. The Soviet effort to dominate Afghanistan has brought Soviet military forces to within 300 miles of the Indian Ocean and close to the Straits of Hormuz, a waterway through which most of the world's oil must flow. The Soviet Union is now attempting to consolidate a strategic position, therefore, that poses a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil. When Carter assumed office in 1977, he was a tabula rasa, the perfect American innocent in a world set in its ways. Predictions of how he would behave were few, and those that were attempted were based on Carter’s...
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...must not break faith with those who are risking their lives--on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua--to defy Soviet aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth. Support for freedom fighters is self-defense.” (Reagan, 1985, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents 21, no. 6). This theme was expanded upon afterwards by then Secretary of State George Shultz, and picked up by journalists, most notably Charles Krauthammer who was first to give the Reagan Doctrine its name in his column in the April 1, 1985 issue of Time magazine. The Reagan Doctrine contended that the United States had a duty to oppose the spread of communist dictatorships and to support the freedom fighters that were part of insurgencies defying Soviet aggression. Its policies were rooted in the 1950s anti-communist doctrines long supported by Americans; however it differed in that “containment” was no longer its only goal. Under the Reagan doctrinal policy it was now permissible to support freedom fighters seeking to throw off governments in counties suffering under communist domination. The rhetorical outpouring of the Reagan Doctrine was much more universal than its actual enactment of policy. This was attributed largely to the impact on U.S. interests, and the theorized effects of intervention on the stability of the overall region. The Reagan Doctrine was actually exercised in Afghanistan over three presidential administrations, since aid began in the Carter Administration...
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...Relations Department Research Paper SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN By: Arshad Mahmood, M.Phil (IR), NDU, Islamabad 20 November 2012 Submitted to: Dr Shaheen Akhtar Associate Professor Department of International Relations NDU, Islamabad SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN ABSTRACT Pak-Russia relations, viewing from a realist perspective, have not been built upon strong pillars of understanding each other’s interests and concerns which are most essential for establishing enduring bilateral ties. The history of their bilateral relations is simply a tale of misperception and misunderstandings. Both the nations despite having convergence of interests on various bilateral, regional and international issues and immense potentials in cooperation have never availed opportunities. In fact both, Pakistan and Russia had viewed each other through the prism of other states and with wrong perceptions. The changing international environment and internal and regional political dynamics of both the states have now provided another chance their elites to revisit their bilateral relations and lay down a foundation for a prosperous future. SECTION-1 INTRODUCTION Background 1. On 26 December 1991 the world witnessed the collapse of the first and the largest communist country - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). This most historic event of the 21st century marked the...
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...Containing Communism Through CIA Covert Operations Kurt Trendle PS335-01 American Foreign Policy Dr. Holzhauer 11/25/12 Kurt Trendle PS335-01 Major Film Analysis In my film analysis I chose three films that deal with previous U.S. administrations and more specifically the CIA's covert operations in supporting and aiding groups in other countries that ultimately opposed communism. The support of these groups was a way to perpetuate the containment policy. Chile: The Other 9/11 (2003), color, 60 minutes. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).:d Nicholas White; p Nicholas White; c Chris Openshaw Chile: The Other 9/11 is a documentary by the BBC which details the hour-by hour events of the military coup that led General Augusto Pinochet to power during the Cold War. On September 11th, 1973 President Salvador Allende was warned of a possible rebellion but continued on to the Presidential Palace of La Moneda in Santiago, Chile. That day President Allende sent out a broadcast that he will not step down. Allende was the first Marxist to be democratically elected. He put into place reforms that raised wages, lowered prices, and advocated for free education and healthcare. He nationalized banks and industries such as American-owned copper mines which really infuriated President Nixon (White 2003). On September 11th, the military, led by the Commander of the Army General Augusto Pinochet, surrounded the palace demanding that President Allende transfer...
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...In what ways is foreign policy a problem of identity and alterity? Foreign policy is in every way a problem of identity and alterity because identification of the “foreign” exists at the very core of every decision making process in foreign policy. Foreign policy is defined as the strategy or approach chosen by the national government to achieve its goals in its relations with external entities (Hudson, 2008). It should not be understood as a bridge between preexisting states with secure identities. Rather, foreign policy is concerned about the establishment of the boundaries that constitute the state and the international system. There is a dichotomy here between the Self (the state) and the Other (the international system) (Campbell, 1998). In this context, the concepts of identity and alterity are inextricably tied together because defining oneself necessarily entails an “othering” process where one’s identity is built on what it is not, rather than what it is. In essence, identity is built on alterity. Furthermore, it is pertinent to note that the identity of a state is more than just something that is derived from a process of contradistinction. It is not a stable, single unitary “I”. It is a condition that has depth, is multilayered, possesses texture and comprises many dimensions. (Campbell, 1998) The identity of the state is also constantly in flux, being shaped constantly by both external and internal forces. With the process of globalization, the divide between...
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...Introduction: Afghanistan has a history of a high degree of decentralization, and resistance to foreign invasion and occupation. Some have termed it the “graveyard of empires.” Afghanistan is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east. Since the late 1970s Afghanistan has suffered brutal civil war in addition to foreign interventions in the form of the 1979 Soviet invasion and the 2001 U.S. invasion. The strategic interests of the great powers of the day in Afghanistan pitched against the potential threat of terrorism, religious extremism, smuggling and drug trafficking substantiates the assertion that Afghan security situation has the potential to generate effects far beyond its borders. Afghanistan had experienced several coups since 1973, when the Afghan monarchy was overthrown by Daud Khan, who was sympathetic to Soviet overtures. Subsequent coups reflected struggles within Afghanistan among factions with different ideas about how Afghanistan should be governed and whether it should be communist, and with degrees warmth toward the Soviet Union. The Soviets intervened following the overthrow of a pro-communist leader. In late December 1979, after several months of evident military preparation, they invaded Afganistan. At that time, the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in the Cold War, a global competition for the fealty of other nations. The United States was, thus, deeply interested...
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...The Cold War period lasted for nearly 45 years, from 1945 to 1991. It began at the end of the Second World War and with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The war was the stage for the West's struggle against communist ideas and changes. This long wearing conflict brought to pass an increase in production and trade of arms and an appearance of a new world order formed by America. The main principle of the cold war can be seen as the East-West competition in ideas, arms and spheres of influence. (REF) After Afghan terrorists dramatically attacked the United States on September 11, 2001; America declared a war on terror and flew its troops into Afghanistan in pursuit of avenging their nation and capturing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Again America found itself in opposition to the East, nevertheless this time a different region. And Again the East was fighting against this new world order and America's quest for world domination in a globalising world. The aim of the essay is to explore the relationship between the cold war and the ‘war on terror' in Afghanistan and to find similarities in political patterns and warfare, in order to answer the question Main Body - History Main question - Relationship The cold war marked the struggle between America and the USSR after the Second World War. The war influenced international affairs majorly. It influenced the way conflicts were handled, the way countries were divided up and the increasing growth in weaponry production...
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...upset the Paris peace negotiations. If his plan involved escalation, Democrats could charge that he was abandoning attempts to reach a peaceful solution and could point to mounting American casualties and prisoners of war. If he negotiated a solution that led to the fall of the government in Saigon, Democrats could charge he had abandoned an ally. Nixon had to find a way to cut American commitments while preserving the non-Communist government in South Vietnam—at least for a "decent interval" so that the overthrow of the regime could not be blamed on the United States (Morgan 2002). Nixon, his national security adviser Henry Kissinger, and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird settled on an approach with several elements. First, the Laird policy for "Vietnamization" was adopted. Responsibility for fighting would be turned over to the Vietnamese, in order to reduce American casualties. Gradually American forces would be withdrawn. This would buy time on the home front. Second, a variant of the "madman" approach in international relations would be adopted. The administration would warn the North Vietnamese that unless they settled soon they would be subjected to carpet bombing of cities, mining of harbors, and even the spread of radioactive debris to halt infiltration of the South....
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...reforms; later reaction * policies of Alexander III (1881-94) and Nicholas II (1895-1917): backwardness and attempts at modernization nature of tsardom growth of opposition movements * significance of the Russo Japanese water: 1906 revolutions; Stolypin and the duma; the impact of the first world war (1914-18) on Russia * 1917 Revolutions: February/ March revolutions; provisional government and Dual power (soviets): October/November Bolshevik Revolution; Lenin and Trotsky * Lenin’s Russia (1917-24): consolidation of new soviet state; civil war; War communism; NEP; terror and coercion; Foreign relations * * Gorbachev and His aims/Policies (glasnost And perestroika) and (1931-1991) consequences of the soviet state * consequences of Gorbachev’s policies for Eastern European; reform movements: Poland- the role of solidarity; Czechoslovakia- the velvet revolution; fall of the Berlin wall * china: Mao (1935-1976) Conditions that produced authoritarian and single party states * emergence of leaders: aims, ideology, support * methods of force and legal used to establish authoritarian * form of government ideology establishment * nature, extent and treatment of opposition establishment * domestic policies and impact (structure and organisation of...
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...Union, along with his Presidency moved forward without notice. The Carter Doctrine has had a transformative impact on U.S. national security policy. Both massive and lasting, its impact has also been almost entirely pernicious. Put simply, the sequence of events that has landed the United States in the middle of an open-ended war to determine the fate of the Greater Middle East begins here (Bacevich, April 2010) The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by the president of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union address on January 23, 1980, which stated that United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interest in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union-the Cold war adversary of the United States-from seeking hegemony in the Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed “a grave threat to the free movement of middle east oil,” Carter proclaimed (Bracevich, 2010). Carter’s new policy came about because he wanted to develop a containment strategy for the Persian Gulf area. When Carter came to office, unlike John F. Kennedy, his aim was not to take on the Soviet Union, He wanted to remove American combat troops from Korea, seek substantial cuts in American and Soviet strategic weapons, reduce U.S. arms sales abroad, and elevate the human rights performance of our friends to a prime criterion in deciding on...
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...political tension between Western countries, especially the United States, its NATO allies, and the communist nations, particularly the Soviet Union and other satellite states. The war began after World War II had got to an end. The Cold War was named so since it did not feature any form of military action. The countries in this war possessed nuclear weapons and any form of war would have led to serious destructions on both divides. The relative calm between these countries was sometimes followed by high tensions, which would have emanated into a war but did not (Gottfried & Reim, 2003). The following essay will look at what the U.S. did during that time, as well as summarize the situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during the president’s time in office. In addition, the essay will describe the effect of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries as well as assess, in conclusion, the advantages and disadvantages of the particular doctrine that was followed. What the President Did During That Time During the cold war, the president was Ronald Reagan. He, together with members of his administration, came up with a strategy designed to oppose the influence that the Soviet Union had in the world. It came to be referred to as the Reagan Doctrine. This also came to be the showpiece of the United States foreign policy in the early 80s until the Cold war ended in 1991 (Gaddis, 2011). Under this Doctrine, the U.S. government provided what is widely known...
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...Monroe Doctrine to the Reagan Doctrine, in the realm of the U.S. politics and foreign affairs, presidential doctrines have played a pivotal role, and if studied from the perspective of the Cold War, the importance of the Reagan Doctrine can be ascertained. The presidential doctrine of Reagan which is popularly known as the Reagan Doctrine played a significant role in decreasing the global influence of the Soviet Union. In the course of the Cold War but it also played a crucial role in shaping the long term foreign policies of the United States in a tumultuous manner primarily because of its role in supporting the anti-Sandinista rebels (called “Contras”) and for eventually instigating the U.S. – Iran conflict, and it is due to such a roles that even today the Reagan Doctrine is considered strategically an important political approach. The Soviet regime provided a chance for Reagan to formulate a doctrine which will be able to strengthen the motivation of these rebels and eventually bring an end to the Soviet According to historians and political strategists they have often identified the Reagan Doctrine as a “strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War” (“Reagan Doctrine”, n.d.). And it is due to its importance in respect of U.S. foreign...
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