...discuss the policy of America during the Vietnam conflict and how this resulted in the unnecessary Vietnam War. I will discuss why the U.S. thought the domino theory would suit the American policies during this time period. Also, I will analyze why the domino effect was not suited well for America. America thought that if communism were to takeover Vietnam, then it would eventually leak out into the surrounding region. This was incorrect and in this paper, I will discuss why it was invalid information. This paper will also examine why American policymakers exaggerated the stakes of the Vietnam War and why this led to unnecessary involvement in the Vietnam conflict. Even as the US realized that the stakes had been exaggerated and that the domino theory was implausible, they continued their involvement in the war. As for sources, I will utilize the sources provided for us by the teacher. These sources are Chapter 10 from LeFeber and History in Dispute: Was US intervention in Vietnam justified? These sources will help me explain why the US’ tried to base their policies off of the domino theory and why this was not the best policy. Also, I will conduct my own research using the online database JSTOR. I will also utilize the Pentagon Papers, a source I found online. Together, all these sources will help me formulate and discuss my viewpoint as to whether or not the Vietnam War was a result of the wrong judgments of American policymakers. Based off my research, I believe that the US involvement...
Words: 2177 - Pages: 9
...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...
Words: 2181 - Pages: 9
...foreign policy that was the cause of the cold war, but instead agree with the fact that it was the difference in ideological views that was the most important factor. The American foreign policies, national interests and the personalities of the leaders all had input to the War and therefore, the War reached such extent. The Cold War was a power vacuum which was to drag the bipolar powers into, which happened to be the USA and the Soviet Union. The American foreign policy did have an impact on the Cold War however, was not the cause. This revisionist view presents America to be the cause of the Cold War. America’s main foreign policy was to secure free markets in which they saw the Soviet Union as an obstacle to achieve this. This led to tension between the two superpowers and a more aggressive War between the bipolar powers. The US also used the atomic bomb as a deliberate foreign policy to pressure the Soviet Union. Source K also holds this view that 'after the atomic bomb was created and used... it left the Soviets with but one real option: either they acquiesce in American proposals or be confronted with American power and hostility.' This led to more aggressive Soviet behaviour because by the USA not informing Stalin of such major equipment, he felt as though he could no longer trust the West. However, the Baruch plan in June 1946 proposed joint US and USSR control over the production of atomic weapons in which the USSR refused. Marshall Aid (1947) was part of the US foreign...
Words: 1354 - Pages: 6
...Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson are two extraordinary men that symbolize the hope and ambition of American people during such a tumultuous time in United States history. Both of these men held leadership qualities, had strong views for America, and held exceptional ideas on a foreign policy. Theodore Roosevelt went into head of office on September 19, 1901 when President William McKinley was assassinated. He was the youngest man to become president. His motto was "speak softly but carry a big stick." He came into power with remarkable ideas including the square deal. He would take the power away from industrialists while he controlled big business in the White House. He would soon become known as a Trust-buster. Roosevelt used American power for American interests and was quoted, "I am an American first and last." Although some historians argue that Roosevelt acted like a six-year-old throughout his presidency and that he didn't think things through, we can admire his magnificent leadership qualities. He was a very audacious man who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. The average citizen was aware of what a "positive, warm, tough, imposing and funny" president that they had leading them. His leadership qualities stemmed from his time as a New York state Assembly man, a deputy sheriff, a president of the Little Missouri Stockman's Association, United States Civil Service Commissioner, Police...
Words: 2915 - Pages: 12
...The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Soviet Policy Failure and United States Success AP US History 03/13/13 Few events in modern history have ever come close to changing the course of the world as much as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The crisis which almost changed the Cold War into a truly hot and nuclear massacre, was resolved miraculously to those living through it. A pivotal turning point in the cold war, the Crisis led to increased calls for peaceful existence, and a change from confrontational to indirect policy. Along with these changes the Cuban Missile Crisis was the utter failure of Soviet Cold War policy, and the success of the United States, as evidenced by the Politburo's disorganization, the defeat of Soviet Policies on the floors of the United Nations, and the successful emergence of the United States from the crisis. The Cold War was the period between the end of World War II and the fall of the Soviet Union, during which the West characterized by the United States and the "West", and the "Soviet Union" along with other communist countries, competed for control of the world. These conflicting ideologies caused continuous confrontations, leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. There were three notable events setting the stage for the crisis. The first was the U.S.S.R. shooting down U-2 spy plane pilot, Gary Powers, flying a spy mission into the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960 (York). The handling of the affair by the Eisenhower administration was...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...Student’s name Course Title Instructor Date submitted Is United States justified to adopt a first-strike policy against independent nations in war on terrorism? The attack on United States on September 2001 brought the truth and reality of terrorism to the land of America in a way that most people had not imagined. Over three thousand people lost their lives. With that several innocent lives lost, America and other friendly nations joined to condemn terrorism. United States accused Taliban government of Afghanistan of harboring perpetrators. The accusation led the United States to begin military operations in Afghanistan. Many nations accepted the military operations as a justifiable response. The Taliban became an easy target because they were sympathizers of terrorist. After a short successful military operations in Afghanistan, United States turned attention to Iraq. They began to build a case against the regime government of Saddam Hussein. The United States suggested that Iraq had also been supporting terrorist and developing nuclear weapons. It was after those inflammatory suggestions about Iraq that a different debate surrounding military operations in that country started to emerge. In September, 2002, American government published a document titled The National Security Strategy. The President, George Bush, pointed the enemy of twenty century as a shadowy network of individuals who were out to harm the society with inexpensive weapon made powerful by technology...
Words: 3168 - Pages: 13
...talk about changes and transformation in Turkish foreign policy have become common place1. Since the end of Cold war, many books and articles have been published claiming that Turkey’s external relations have undergone a profound change2. Most commentators when analysing Turkish foreign policy in the 1990s perceived a significant qualitative transformation in comparison with the foreign policy conducted during the Cold War, which is often described as passive and reactive. An assertive and multi-directional foreign policy was developed, and Turkey became much more active in its neighbourhood, establishing ties with the Caucasus and the Turkic Republics, participating in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans, promoting economic relations with Black Sea countries, increasing economic and political ties with the Middle East. However, a darker side of this activism in foreign policy was observed in the 1990s, when Ankara’s ready resort to the threat or the use of military force was particularly visible. Regular military incursions in Northern Iraq to crush PKK forces, threats against Syria, with troops amassed at the border in 1998, hard rhetoric during the Russian S-300 missiles crisis planned to be deployed in Cyprus in the same year are a few examples (Park 2005). In 1995, the Turkish Parliament announced that if Greece expanded its territorial waters from six to twelve miles, Turkey would go to war and war almost happened over islets in the Aegean Sea. In 1996,...
Words: 5433 - Pages: 22
...World War II through the 1970s Professor Stephen Hudson History 105 March 2, 2013 World War II through the 1970s United States was determined to stay out of European conflicts that would eventually lead to World War II. The period before Second World War, most European countries and the US was characterized by major tensions due to provocations of the countries allied to the German Nazis. The major turning point in the United States decision to join the Second World War against the Nazis was after a brutal attack by the Japanese in 1941. The Japanese forces on 7th December 1941 attacked and bombed the United States pacific fleet killing 2,403 Americans and injuring many others (Schultz, 2012). The Japanese at the same time attack major American positions in Philippines, Midway Islands and Guam as well as Malaysia and Hong Kong. These offensives are responsible for President Roosevelt declaration of war against Nazis with Hitler declaring the same against US making it a world war. The other turning point after the World War II was what was referred to as the Cuban crisis. This was a serious thirteen day confrontation between the United States’ administrations under J F Kennedy regime and the Cuban communist regime under Castro in October 1962. Cuba’s leader, Castro had given permission to the Soviet Union to have a few of its dangerous nuclear missiles in Cuba (Renn, 2012). This was a potential trigger to a nuclear war between...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6
...Seeds of conflict What were the characteristics of Cold War? Ideologies : Communism v. capitalism Capitalism: production of goods and distribution is dependent on private capital with a view to making profit; capitalist economies run by individuals rather than by state Communism: hostile to capitalism, which exploits workers; ideally all property, businesses & industry should be state-owned, ‘each gives according to their ability to those according to their need’ Economics: Marshall Plan (1947) – provision of fuel, raw materials, goods, loans, food, ……………..machinery advisers US exploited it financial power to export Western values – dollar imperialism 1948-52, US Congress voted nearly $13bn economic aid to Europe Trade war with Communist countries, e.g. Cuba Military tensions: Korean War (1950-3), Vietnam (early 1960s -1973); US …………military …………..build-up, e.g. 1960 2.4 US military personnel around world; …………1959, 1,500 ………….military bases in 31 countries Treaties: NATO (1949) – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation SEATO (1954)– South East Asia Treaty Organisation Warsaw Pact (1955)– military defensive pact amongst eastern European nations COMECON (1949)– Council for Mutual Economic Assistance Propaganda: European Recovery Program – propaganda as much as economic ………..exercise Benefits of Marshall Plan advertised Italy became a focus of economic rebuilding after WWII - ‘Operation Bambi’ used minstrels, puppet shows and film Espionage: CIA (1947)...
Words: 1286 - Pages: 6
...since 1900. Paul Robeson: African American singer and actor who became involved with the Civil Rights Movement. He became politically involved in response to the Spanish Civil War, Fascism, and social injustices. His advocacy of anti-imperialism, affiliation with Communism, and his criticism of the US government caused him to be blacklisted during McCarthyism. Furthermore, Native Land was labeled by the FBI as communist propaganda. Anschluss: the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938.[2] This was in contrast with the Anschluss movement (Austria and Germany united as one country) which had been attempted since as early as 1918 when the Republic of German-Austria attempted union with Germany which was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles peace treaties. Germany became a dictatorship in 1933, when Adolf Hitler became chancellor. Hitler openly defied the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which stated that Germany was not to acquire new territory or build up its military. Hitler, originally from Austria, saw the opportunity to take over Austria as beneficial to his plan of a German Reich (empire). Appeasement: Appeasement, the policy of making concessions to the dictatorial powers in order to avoid conflict, governed Anglo-French foreign policy during the 1930s. It became indelibly associated with Conservative Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain The League of...
Words: 2687 - Pages: 11
...‘A cold war between East and West was inevitable after 1945.’ Do you agree? Up until May 7th 1945 Germany had been Europe’s main defence against Russian hegemony. Once the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany was complete, this defence no longer existed and the USSR held onto the territorial gains it had made during its monumental war effort. Germany’s fate had not yet been decided but in the meantime it had been divided into four areas by the former Allies. The tension between the remaining post war Superpowers, the United States and The Soviet Union were ever increasing. Britain became economically and militarily dependant on the US as its empire floundered. British rhetoric and ‘scaremongering was born of Britain’s desire to keep America involved in Europe.’ Stalin began to consolidate the Soviet area and the anti-Western language of the Soviet regime became just as scathing as Churchill’s. The ‘Iron Curtain’ was now in place and America, Britain and Russia were coming to realise that their respective ideologies were for the most part irreconcilable. Although it is often said that nothing is inevitable, there are times when the consequences of decisions and policies gather momentum and become an unstoppable force. By considering their differences and how the individual iron willed leaders involved expressed their intentions and shaped their stances against each other it will become apparent that the consequences and the forces that the East and the West put in motion made the Cold...
Words: 2384 - Pages: 10
...How far was the USSR responsible for the outbreak of the Cold War 1945-1949? To a certain extent, the USSR’s responsibility of the Cold War cannot be underestimated as their policies following the Second World War may have been seen as aggressive by USA. The forceful take-over of Eastern Europe through the Red Army occupations, especially in distinctive cases such as Poland and Czechoslovakia, can be seen as being far from the “liberation” over which the two war-time allies had agreed, while the rigging of elections did not conform to the Yalta agreement of the organisation of free ones. Stalin responded to the Americans’ policies of containment by creating his own agencies, therefore creating even more hostility between the two superpowers, while also refusing the existence of anything but Soviet puppet states in Eastern Europe. However, the event which cemented the outbreak of the Cold War was Stalin imposing the Berlin Blockade, taking direct action towards weakening the Americans’ position. One may see that Stalin’s blockade resulted in the official creation of two separate German states, one of the most significant events of the Cold War. On the other hand, revisionists point out that the USSR was taking defensive measures to protect itself from anything that could have caused as much damage as the Second World War, while the Americans, who were superior economically, adopted provocative policies. They challenged the patience of the Russians by hiding crucial events from...
Words: 4209 - Pages: 17
...American foreign policy. Several changes occurred and a new general priority was created in national security. The entire American populace awoke to the fear of an amorphous enemy Al Qaeda, a terrorist group led by Osama Bin Laden which had declared war on the US by taking the battle to the very shores of America. Over 3000 people were killed when on the 11th of September 2001 two hijacked planes were flown into the he World Trade Centre destroying the twin towers, a third struck the pentagon building while the fourth heading for the White House was brought Down by its hostage passengers who courageously laid down their lives for the nation. The attacks were unprecedented considering the fact that The United States had been attacked before by terrorist. In 1993 the World Trade Centre was bombed, in 1988 US embassy bombing took place in Kenya and Tanzania and in and October 2000 the USS Cole Bombing took place in Yemen 1 just to mention a few. The attacks were considered an act of war and as such required decisive action which was clearly spelt out by President George W. Bush in his September 20th joint address to congress that same year. "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated…And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are...
Words: 1926 - Pages: 8
...greatest superpower following World War II. Finally getting back on their feet after the great depression, the United States economy was unmatched by any other nation. The only country able to compete with the United States in any way was the Soviet Union. During World War II both of these super powers fought alongside each other as allies. As the war came to an end so did their civil relationship. The Cold War was a prominent time of tension between the nations following World War II. The war was centered around the issue of communism. This period began in 1945 and lasted nearly 45 years. Over the course of this time period many U.S. presidents came in and out of the White House. Each had their own...
Words: 1724 - Pages: 7
...individuals who would appear to be either card carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party, but who nevertheless are still helping to shape our foreign policy.” Even though he said he had proof, he would never show anyone that proof which would have justified the accused of being scared. This occurred during times when the US and Soviet Union were teasing each other with nuclear war, also known as The Cold War. After McCarthy accused everyone of these charges things starts to get out of control. The HUAC gets established to investigate un-american activities going on, and their first investigation was on the movie industry. This led to the creation of which became to be known as the “Hollywood Ten”. They...
Words: 568 - Pages: 3
