American Foreign Policy:1972-1990Examining Cold War Policy Making

United States History-Mr. Skrzypiec

What are we looking at?

American foreign policy=crucial part of Cold War relationships

With certain decisions made, United States would have never become global superpower

Good & Bad policies Positive and negative decisions being made, helped/hurt United States

Four major presidential decision making bodies

Lets examine these decisions and policies made!

Richard Nixon

Conservative, Republican

Strict anti-communist

Aggressive foreign policy to stamp out communist worldwide

Nixon Foreign Policy: Vietnam

After massive protest towards the War in Vietnam in 1969, Nixon began process of Vietnamization

Vietnamization: withdrawal of US troops replacing them with South Vietnamese troops

Also began ground attacks in Laos and Cambodia to stop communist forces overrunning those countries

The draft ended in 1973, Paris Peace Accords Signed in beginning 1973

Nixon Foreign Policy: Middle East

Nixon Doctrine: US would avoid providing direct combat assistance to allies

Instead, gave means to defend themselves against enemies

Provided weapons to Israel in the Yom Kippur War

US had “failed” Israel in almost every instance

Israel should make peace with its Arab neighbors, US militaristic support used as leverage at bargaining table

Consequences:

Negative:

-No action in support of Israel initially in Yom Kippur War

-US airlift of arms thereafter=strained relations between US and USSR (backing Egypt and Syria)

-Support of Israel created 1973 Oil Crisis-Arab states refused to sell oil to the United States

Positive:

-US able to reach an agreement with Arab states

-Allowed US and Egypt to rekindle relations lost since 1967

-Nixon made visit to Egypt in 1974, met with President Sadat=important moment in US-Middle East relations

Nixon Foreign Policy: Latin America

Had supported actions of Kennedy admin. In Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

Increased surveillance on Fidel Castro

Soviets believed Nixon threatened peace made in Cuban Missile Crisis, wanted to re-affirm agreement

Nixon did so, only after USSR agreed not to use base in Cuba to hold ballistic missile carrying subs

Nixon Foreign Policy: Latin America

Refused to let Salvador Allende take the Chilean presidency

Funded rigged election=failed

Funded propaganda campaigns against communist Allende=somewhat successful

Authorized US back coup d’etat (led by Chilean military) to remove Allende from power

Succeeded-Placed General Pinochet as president

Nixon Foreign Policy: China

Soviet Union and China involved in conflict in Spring 1969 near Ussari River in Northeast China

Developed into a close conflict pinning two superpowers against one another *Hints of nuclear war*

Mao conflicted over what to do, enemies on all sides,

Thought of Chinese-American relations…”How do we negotiate with the United States?”

Long time disconnect between US and China

Quote from Mao

In discussing U.S. Chinese relations with his personal physician, Mao said the following statement:

“The United States and Soviet Union are different…America’s new president, Richard Nixon, is a rightist…I like to deal with rightists…They say what they really think, not like leftists, who say one thing and mean another…”

Nixon Foreign Policy: China

Summer 1969-President Nixon stated “America cannot let China be smashed in a Sino-Soviet conflict” (paraphrased)

Major foreign policy change

Nixon also wanted out of Vietnam, Mao wanted to end conflict as well, Chinese had grown tired of war

Mao to North Vietnam: “As our broom is too short to sweep the Americans out of Taiwan, so yours is too short to do the same in South Vietnam”

Nixon Foreign Policy: China

Shared goal: Restore order to each nation

Henry Kissinger and Zhou Enlai (Secs. Of State) promised each other mutual support in 1971

Nixon visited China in 1972-*No other politician or western leader had done so before him

Began a process of peace and cooperation between two nations-”History has brought us together”

http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/feb-21-1972-nixon-meets-mao-zedong-9413671

Gerald Ford

Moderate Conservative, Republican

Wanted to continue détente like Nixon had

Sought peaceful compromise on nuclear arms control

Ford’s Foreign Policy: USSR

Continued and expanded détente between US and USSR

Détente-relaxing, un-freezing relations between two nations

Affirmed SALT I Treaty with USSR

Signed Helsinki Accords in 1975-created Helsinki Watch, later becoming Human Rights Watch (devoted to overseeing the continuity of human rights globally)

Ford’s Foreign Policy: Middle East

Vetoed bills suspending aid to Turkey (in relation to its pulling out of NATO)

Gain great resistance from Congress by vetoing

Not happy with Israel’s slow move towards peace with Egypt, chose to “reassess” US funding of Israel

Created six months of strained relations between US and Israel, American Jewish community and Congressional leaders urged renewed support

Sinai Interim Agreement signed on Sept 1st, 1974, restarting aid to Israel

Ford’s Foreign Policy: Vietnam

Greatest challenge in foreign policy

US-Vietnam deal in Paris Peace Accords jeopardized in 1974 N. Vietnamese invasion of Phuoc Long (South Vietnam)

Ford asked for 522 million dollar aid package to S. Vietnam, Congress cut him down significantly, money only sent for evacuation needs

1,373 Americans and 5595 Vietnamese evacuated, while Ford declared the Vietnam War “was over as far as America was concerned…”

American Foreign Policy

Part II

Jimmy Carter

Liberal, Democrat

Believed in rule of law in international relations

Self-determination for all people

Power used only in times of need, military intervention limited

Concerned with human dignity and rights

Carter Foreign Policy: USSR

Wanted to continue process of détente, made decisions that made this not possible

Five year build up of defense=Soviet suspicion

Signed SALT II Treaty, limiting ballistic missiles and capping missile creation

SALT II not ratified by US Senate, Carter withdrew treaty

US and USSR abided by treaty even though not formally instituted

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

USSR invaded its neighbor Afghanistan in 1979

Tried to rid the nation of a Muslim rebellion led by the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet backed communist gov.

US outraged, UN called for “immediate withdrawal”

Did little to stop Soviets, claimed right to intervene to protect government against “revolution”

U.S. Response to Invasion

US outraged by invasion, viewed as a breach of freedom and human rights

Responded by boycotting Olympics in Moscow in 1980

Carter set this as an ultimatum for troops to withdraw from Afghanistan

No real progress in terms of troop withdrawal, was met with international support

Carter Foreign Policy: Middle East

Presidents going back to Eisenhower had supported the Shah of Iran (monarch)

Carter was no different, publically supported his rule

Iranian Revolution came in 1979, Islamic government came into power in Iran, Shah fled into exile

US tried to stabilize ties with new government in hopes of easing anti-American feelings

Carter Foreign Policy: Middle East

US Mayo clinic admitted shah to be treated for developing cancer, Iranians were outraged

Anti-American sentiment grew, rumors of U.S. backed coup to return Shah to rule

Demonstrations began outside US embassy in Tehran, Iran

Student organized group Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line broke through embassy gates and occupied the embassy, holding diplomats and Americans hostage

Carter’s Foreign Policy: Middle East

Carter implemented economic and political sanctions on Iran, oil imports banned

Criticized as not doing enough, emergence of great American patriotism here

Operation Eagle Claw-failed attempt to rescue hostages by a joint CIA military force

Consequences:

52 Hostages held for 444 days

Released just as Ronald Reagan was being sworn in as President of the United States

Carter’s reputation was ruined, foreign policy in shambles, seen as not doing enough “soft” on the Iranians

Iran was more comfortable with Reagan in seat of power, however, strained relations continued for many years to come

Ronald Reagan

Conservative, Republican

Hard-lined anti-communist

Believed communist to be evil, represent everything against decency in the modern world

Reagan’s Foreign Policy: Middle East

Reagan deployed peacekeeping troops to calm tensions in Lebanon in 1983

Forces attacked in Oct. 1983, called act “despicable”

Unable to truly keep peace, Reagan withdrew marines

Condemned Gulf of Sidra event and Libyan bombing in German discoteque

Reagan Foreign Policy: USSR

Continued reversal of détente that began after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979

Buildup of national defense and armed services

Denounced USSR through speech:

“the forward march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash-heap of history” (Gaddis)

1983 speech to National Association of Evangelicals , called USSR an “evil empire”

Reagan Foreign Policy: USSR

Changes within USSR modified Reagan foreign policy

Rising oil prices and faulty agricultural policies led USSR economy to a halt

Mikhail Gorbachev (new leader of USSR) began to change USSR, Reagan saw as opportunity to thaw relations

Four conferences 1985-1988

Reagan: Increased freedom of speech and democracy=end of communism

Reagan’s Foreign Policy: USSR

Reagan pressured Gorbachev towards arms control

Signed Intermediate Nuclear Arms Forces Treaty in 1987

Signed START I-major agreement to reduce number of strategic arms

Reagan’s attempts to push the USSR towards a sense of democracy was a major accomplishment in his foreign policy and for the end of the Cold War