“Nixinger”: Nixon, Kissinger, Triangular Diplomacy, and Détente

Question 1

What is triangular diplomacy?

Answer 1

Triangular diplomacy in U.S. history refers to the strategic foreign policy approach during the Cold War era, where the United States, under President Nixon and Secretary of State Kissinger, aimed to improve its global position by engaging both the Soviet Union and China. The strategy involved leveraging the tensions between the two communist powers, leading to the historic 1972 visit of President Nixon to China. This move not only normalized Sino-American relations but also created a triangular balance of power, allowing the U.S. to play off the Soviet Union and China against each other strategically. Triangular diplomacy contributed to the easing of Cold War tensions and reshaped the geopolitical landscape by preventing the formation of a united front against the United States.