FINAL Flashcards
“God, Goods and Gunboats”
American plan for expanding influence in Asia
3 pronged: economic, cultural and military influence
economic - increased involvement in asian markets
cultural: export americanism (christianity, democracy)
military: expand naval capabilities to more effective monitor maritime trade that is the beginning of US soft power
Economic Expansion
Early 19th century: US despised imperialism
As US power increased it started dabbling in this
Justified by Manifest destiny
Trade: expand markets while still having protectionist measures in place
Open Door Policy & China
- idea that all states should have access to Chinese markets
- Americans had fear of Russians in Asia b/c they were expanding their power on the continent
- Involvement in Boxer Rebellion: sent 5k troops to Asia to protect open door (moral and economic reasons)
Bretton Woods System
Economic portion of the post WW2 Effort to create international stability 1. IMF 2. World Bank 3. GATT (now WTO)
IMF
International Monetary Fund
- designed to stabilize currency and exchange rates
- provides short term loans to cover negative balances of trade
- states give up some control, but are assured stability of currency
World Bank
- provides development loans to nations in need
- used for a number of projects from creating infrastructure to combatting corruption
- made to foster the development of economies
- increase volume of trade and the strength of economic ties
GATT
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs
- regulation of trade by assuring equal levels of tariffs for all
- guarantees free and open trade for all members
- expand Chinese Open Door Policy to the entire world
- creates consumers around the world who can & will buy goods
UN Security Council
- implemented as the military portion of post WW@ effort to create international stability
- acts as a guarantor of world peace
- more legitimacy than FDR’s plan because it placed this power within a larger, more universal body
Potsdam Conference (1945)
- dedicated to ending WW2
- aimed to answer the question: What happens after Germany falls? Who controls what?
- resulted in a divided Germany and a divided Berlin
- USSR had control and influence of Germany’s agricultural centers while US had control and influence of its industrial centers
US plan during Truman Administration to protect democracies worldwide
- Marshall Plan
2. Keenan, “long telegram,” and “X”
The Marshall Plan
Merrill
Specifics of the plan:
US would support the rebuilding of postwar European economies as a way to slow Soviet Expansion
eventually expanded this practice to all regions of the world
Required states to open ledgers
Downside:
Soviets saw this as imperialism by alternative means
Kennan, the “long telegram” and “X”
- Kennan wrote an article at this time under the pseudonym “Mr. X” which became the centerpiece for US date at the beginning of the cold war
- Also became the background of US Military actions during this time
- The realist take on soviet motivations
- He stated that ideology is what was distracting the US from what should be its ultimate goal: Power
- becoming an ideological enemy of the USSR would only prolong the conflict
NSC-68
Recommendations
Gaddis
- Secret document by a committee to reorganize US Grand Strategy
1. World is bipolar cuz of nuke
2. “Passive” containment was not enough, soviet motivations were not restrained by the type of containment
Recommendations for grand strategy
1. Diplomacy is not effective, negotiations with soviets will be fruitless and only aid soviet propaganda
2. expand conventional and nuclear force capability
out flank and out build the soviet arsenal
3. mobilize the American population to pay the costs
quiet congressional critics
convince the public to the threat/its danger
4. strengthen alliance commitments
western unity was the only block to soviet expansion into Western Europe
Increase military and economic aid to allies
5. “make the Russian people out allies in this undertaking”
US can take the soviet system out
take down the infallibility of leadership and people will be displeased
weaken the USSR from the inside
Differences between Keenan and NSC-68 containment strategies
- had fundamental different understandings of Soviet motivations
- kennan preferred a passive approach while NSC-68 preferred active containment
- Ultimately, NSC-68 was put into action rather than Kennan’s plan because it provided Truman with the mess to create domestic support for an active role in world affairs (which he desires)
Kruschev & the “Secret Speech” of 1956
- repudiated Stalin and his crimes against the Russian people
- rejected the fear of capitalism
- brought forth the idea of a “peaceful coexistence” between US and USSR
Eisenhower and his containment policy
-goal was to continue containment of communism while slashing costs for Eisenhower
-greatest risk to US military strength was economic weakness
2 policies
Massive retaliation
New approach to civil conflicts
Massive Retaliation
Problems
-the use would respond to any soviet move against vital areas with nuclear weapons
“use nukes exactly as one would use a bullet”
“respond vigorously at a pace and with means of our own choosing”
Problems
- belief in the usefulness of nukes
- it is fundamentally non-credible
- it creates instability and incentive for enemy to test limits of US seriousness
Eisenhower’s approach to civil conflicts
- approved clandestine operations via the CIA
- send “military advisors” instead of troops (maintain the tripwire with a smaller footprint on ground)
- applied in Iran, Guatemala, and Vietnam most notably
- justified with a new metaphor: falling dominos
The Suez Crisis
uly 26, 1956:
Egyptian President Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal
precipitated by the US decision to pull foreign aid to Egypt earlier that month
Nasser exploited the seams of the bipolar world
posed a serious threat to British and French oil concerns
October 24, 1956: France, GB, Israel
Sevres Protocol:
1. israeli invasion of the sinai peninsula
2.French and British ultimatum
3. bomb egyptian air fields
4. intervention of french and british troops
October 29: plan set into action
Eisenhower was unhappy with this
10/30: UN condemns Israel for its actions
11/4: UN troops replace british and french ones
11/7: situation stabilized
Lessons of Suez Crisis
- american losses: alliance utility, personal cost to eisenhower
- soviet gains: Hungary, gained status in the 3rd world
- the power of revolutionaries-nasser becomes national and regional hero
The Berlin Crisis
11/10/58:
Berlin Ultimatum:
kruschev attempted to manipulate germany and its fear of abandonment by the US
threat of a blockade backed by nuclear and conventional arms
demanded an ally withdrawal,
make Berlin a free city, recognition of East German
Gov’t by allies
American Response:
Dulles rejected the demand
allies would remain in berlin
the US would refuse to negotiate with E Germany
nuclear threat: NATO could retaliate “if need be by military force”
Kruschev relents and crisis fades away. why?
testing american resolve in germany
test credibility of massive retaliation
The Cuban Problem
US interests in Cuba ran deep
Batista gained power in ‘52: led vicious and corrupt regime
Castro Revolution in 1959
Kruschev sensed an opportunity: signal the developing world- supported communist cuba with military and economic aid
Cuban Missile Crisis: oct 1962
missiles discovered on the island on 16th
quarantine of Cuba by US navy begins on 22nd
week of negotiations leads to tense peace
Agreement: removal of missiles from cuba for a pledge of US non-invasion and removal of US Jupiter Missiles in turkey
Lessons from Cuban Problem
- nuclear annihilation not only possible, but likely
- detente was an acceptable policy of Great Power competition
the beginning of arms control,
direct line communication,
crisis diplomacy,
AND a turn to proxy wars as the field of competition
Kennedy Defense buildup
new post Cuban Missile Crisis strategy
in response to the belief that the US was falling behind in the arms race with USSR
aspects of this buildup:
strengthen US military tools
begin selling arms to the world
by 1965: US was world’s largest arms dealer
full scale re-evaluation of Eisenhower policy of massive retaliation
Kennedy’s policy of “Flexible Response”
respond to soviet threats with an opposite but equal policy
create flexibility, including conventional and nuclear deterrence
the 2.5 Wars Doctrine: US only had the capacity to successfully engage in 2.5 wars at a time
summary: kennedy transitioned into his own strategic vision of the world
BUT: flexible response led to a quagmire in Vietnam
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
- increases presidential power
LBJ can now authorize war w/ no expiration date - re-affirms US’ dedication to SEATO (southeast asian trade organization)
due to the domino effect: conflict has the ability to spread throughout SE Asia
allows the US to act quickly in the region - calmed the fears of China and USSR
“Win School”
Gelb&Betts:
Future of war based on overwhelming force
US had the capacity to win in Vietnam, it just didn’t employ this capacity in the correct way
“Reformist School”
Gelb&Betts:
Focuses on the problems with intervention:
Humanitarian aid causes entanglement, stay out of nation building, US should be noninterventionist
Lessons from Vietnam
Gelb & Betts
1. win school
2. reformist school
3. end of consensus on how to win cold war
limited/proxy war was now seen as inherently illogical
US searches for a new policy (detente)
Soviet invasion of Czecheslovakia
1968
in conflict with the Warsaw Pact
threat to liberalization movements in E Europe
this event further deteriorated the US’ position around the world
Warsaw and Moscow treaties
recognize borders of euro countries and declare to not tamper with these borders
Basic Treaty
West Germany recognizes and establishes formal relations with East Germany
EG now has the ability to be a full on player in the international system/can be part of the UN
The Nixon Shock
- US would keep its treaty commitments
- US would provide nuke shield
- Required permission of host state to send troops
Decline of American Economic Influence in late 60’s early 70’s
caused by a combination of war spending and increased economic competition worldwide
European nations began to withdrawal from Bretton Woods, led to decline in value of US dollar
led to Nixon’s taking US off gold standard and withdrawling US from Bretton Woods