I will be talking about President Reagan’s Doctrine and some of what happened during his administration. President Reagan was our 40th President (Jan.1981-Jan.1989). During his time in office, the United States used their diplomatic resources to stop Soviet expansionism in the developing world. President Reagan wanted to overthrow pro-Soviet regimes, so his administration focused on supporting proxy armies to stop the Soviet influence (Roskin, 1999, p. 58). One of President Reagan’s biggest achievements was the end of the Cold War.
Instead of the Détente, Reagan wished for a peace built by America’s economic and military power. Ronald Reagan’s policies were based on the ideologies of spreading freedom and democracy around the world to block the advancement on Soviet Communism. He promoted democracy and all its qualities to countries throughout the world including the Soviet Union. His peaceful policies significantly contributed to the end of the cold war. Reagan detested the oppression of Marxism-Leninism and in 1982 he gave a speech at the British parliament during which he expressed the hope that it would end up “on the ash heap of history”.
By the time World War 2 ended, most American officials agreed that the best defense against the soviet threat was a strategy called “containment“. In 1946, in his famous “Long Telegram” the diplomat George Kennan explained this policy: The Soviet Union, he wrote, was a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus Vivendi (agreement between parties that disagree); as a result, Americas only choice was the „long – term” patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies (History). Albert Einstein said: “so long as there are men there will be wars” (Brainy Quote). After WWII, another war started. Two countries had grown up into global forces.
A focus of the American foreign policy during the Cold War, the containment policy was largely a success. The containment policy was a political success due to the Truman Doctrine. US President Harry S. Truman decided that America must stop communism from spreading. In 1947 he announced the Truman Doctrine, which turned America into a "world policeman". America would aid any country threatened by communism.
After the overwhelming battle in Korea, starting in 1950, the war between North Korea, China and patron state USSR against South Korea and patron state USA finally ended in a ceasefire in June 16th 1953. It can be argued that the USA was the successors of the Korean War due to significant military and political success. However, the USA also faced great negative impacts from the war politically and militarily which can challenge the view of the USA triumph. It can be argued that the US was the victors of the Korean War because of their military success. Primarily the US goal was to defend South Korea from the invasion of North Korea, June 1950.
What was the impact of Ronald Reagan on US foreign policy? 1. How did Reagan’s foreign policy mark a fundamental change in US foreign policy? Marked a shift towards a more aggressive, strident anti-Communist approach. He was ready to pursue the so-called second Cold War with vigour on all fronts.
Though this treat he was able to have his way at the Yalta conference. Truman thought of America as the World’s atomic power and was assured by Cabinet advisers; America would reign supreme in the arms race. However Joseph Stalin was also attempting to build Russia’s power in this arms race too. Truman began to get tough on Russia in 1946 when there were strong protests in the Iran against Russian Troops. The Soviets had denied sharing control of the Turkish Straits as they had claimed they would not have.
Past to Present Presidents: Winning the Cold War Melonie Moon 2oth Century American History – AMH2030-1M Professor Collins October 1, 2010 The “Cold War” is described as a state of political tension and economic confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union dominating world affairs from 1946 to 1989.following World War II. (Goldfield & Barney, 2009) During the history of the Cold War each President starting from Harry Truman to George H. W. Bush handled this political and economic confrontations have issued their versions of Doctrines that would prevent communism in small countries that the Soviet felt the need to take over. Each president pledged their alliance and support to any small country that required our
Truman’s foreign policy may have been a major cause to start up the cold war due to his aggressive economic policy. There are many arguments that support the theory that Truman did actually contribute largely in starting up the Cold War. In the Potsdam conference, Truman had replaced Roosevelt as the new president and told Stalin that the USA had tested an atomic bomb, in order to intimidate him and try to show him the US’s superiority. Truman also had promoted the European Recovery Programme and The Marshall Plan, these two projects provided economic aid to European countries in an attempt to keep them in a capitalist government instead of having them turn to a communist government in an attempt to solve their problem, this also led to create fear in the USSR since the USA was attempting to make allies in the Eastern parts of Europe, attempting to both contain communism and to enclose Russia. The Marshall Aid plan also created worry in the USSR since it was revitalizing the German economy and it was the Germans who had twice invaded the USSR and caused great damage to it, especially Hitler’s regime, which had invaded less that five years ago and Russia was still recovering from the damage caused.
During the cold war, U.S and Soviet Union were twos strong powers. They could end up competition for power and influence with or without nuclear bombs. Nukes may have increased this race for power, but the two nations would still