- WWII Plane - Geograph.org
When the Cold War ended, just at the start of the 1990s, the world saw the collapse of a strategic empire—the Soviet Union. At the same time, the world watched as a number of nations gained independence from the Soviets, Germany unified, and the United Nations developed a more central role in dealing with international affairs as an international organization. The end of this tense stalemate meant it would have an impact on the foreign policy of the United States for not just the immediate future, but for perhaps a long time. After the Cold War, the U.S. increased its hegemony and responsibility as an international peacekeeper while stamped as an inevitable world policing power.
The Conditions of the Cold War
Dominated by the intense competition of security that nearly came close to violence during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the 20th century began. The post Cold War world involved the idea of American diplomacy versus communism. Nobody truly knew the impact of the Cold War and what it would hold. As the end of the Cold War arrived, it was evident that questions about the social construction of international relations had to be answered. These questions were further reinforced when many international relations scholars could not explain what the future of American foreign policy would hold after the Cold War calmed down. One of the major questions following the Cold War era was what type of world did the United States want to see exist?
As Steven Hook explains, there were three conditions dependent upon the conclusion of a Cold War atmosphere: the demise of the Stalin empire, the detachment of Leonid Brezhnev’s strongholds in the developing satellites, and the reduction of arms while trying to achieve a “nuclear balance” (Hook 160). The West can attribute a Cold War victory based on three factors. The West was able to contain Soviet ambitions through military action, the opening of arts and social philosophy, and a different measure of economic and social elevation that helped spread through Western democracies. The defeat of communism was also a victory. Communists realized that people who were free seemed to live better when compared to living in a failing government where freedom was a bad word.
Was it Really a War?
One of the reasons the Cold War didn’t heat up too far was thanks to the fear of a nuclear holocaust. It may be hard for some to imagine that what was causing much of the fear, aside from the communist dominoes, was actually saving the world. The fear of an outright nuclear winter was on everyone’s minds. Many winced at the idea of Brezhnev getting near the red button, because he would if tempted enough. The fear came as the U.S. and Soviet Union were stretched into two different camps—very different camps of both government and socialization.
The policy of containment was created to limit the expansion of the Soviet brand. The states used military, economic and diplomatic strategies to halt the continuation of the communist regime, preventing the scare that could have been an infection to the majority of Europe. Presidents during the Cold War differed on their ideas of containing the cause. For example, Nixon rejected the main idea of containment along with his right hand man, Henry Kissinger. Carter and Johnson were both strong proponents of containment. Reagan helped to escalate the Cold War right before it ended as he left office. He saw the Soviets as an evil empire and continued the policy of containment.
Kissinger said, “The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the other whom he assumes to have perfect vision. Of course over time, even two blind men can do enormous damage to each other, not to speak of the room,” (Conlin 805). Kissinger’s room analogy has survived, however at the time, the men were interlocked in something of great fortitude.
America's Foreign Policy Changes
The foreign policy of America has been affected nonetheless by the Cold War and its lasting effects. Just because the Cold War ended and tensions between the U.S. and Russia are not at the height of the Cold War, there are still military occupations in the country and America still keeps a close eye in the region. The lessons show that because Russia and the U.S. may now be on good relations, the neoliberalist idea of order and rule in the world could break at any moment, causing Cold War antics to possibly heat back up.
Sources:
- Conlin, Joseph. “The American Past: A Survey of American History.” 9th Ed. Vol. 2. Wadsworth: Boston. 2010.
- Hook, Steven; Spanier, John. “American Foreign Policy Since World War III.” 18th Ed. CQ Press: Washington. 2010.
Corey Morris - Hello There! I'm a senior at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia and an avid reporter for the campus newspaper, The Rotunda. A ...
