America’s Changing

Foreign Policies

(1970’s – 1980’s)

The U.S. versus The Soviet Union

Setting the Stage

Continuities: Prevent the Spread of Communism

Promote Global Democracy

Avoid Global Nuclear War

Changing Policies: Harry S. Truman’s

Containment

D. D. Eisenhower’s

Brinkmanship

J. F. Kennedy’s

Flexible Response

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Major Concerns

“The Long Telegram”

Outlined Soviet plan for expansion

and promoted the U.S. Policy of

Containment

“The Domino Effect”

Promoted U.S. Intervention

to prevent continued

Communist Expansion

The U.S. versus The Soviet Union

Changing Strategies

1.Intervention (Eisenhower - Johnson) – Containment by direct political-military

involvement in the Korean & Vietnam Conflicts

2.Engagement (Nixon - Carter) – Containment of Soviet behavior through the

adoption of Detente

3.Confrontation (Reagan Doctrine) – Containment by readopting policies that challenge

Soviet economic and military capabilities

The Changing U.S. Strategies

The Dynamic Questions

• Was intervention in Korea and Vietnam a

logical action of U.S. Containment Policy?

• Was engagement through Détente a result

of the failures of intervention?

• Was the initiation of confrontation the result

of the failed success of engagement?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War?

Conventional

Intervention?

Korean Conflict (1951-1954)

Vietnam Conflict (1959-1973)

Both Ended in

Stalemate

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War?

Political Poker: Brinkmanship?

Eisenhower’s Threat to

use Nuclear Weapons:

Kennedy’s Threat to use

Nuclear Weapons:

Korean Conflict Ends? Cuban Crisis Ends?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War?

CIA Sponsored Operations?

Bay of Pigs (1961) Iranian Coup (1953) Military Coup in

Guatemala (1954)

The Changing U.S. Strategies

New Concerns

“The Korea or Vietnam Dilemma”

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and another failed Conflict?

Solutions: Changes in U.S. Foreign Policy Control

Adoption of a New Foreign Policy

Increased Use of Special Operations

• Intervention didn’t produce positive results

The Changing U.S. Strategies

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and another failed Conflict?

Congress challenged Presidential Powers

• 1973 War Powers Resolution

Congress removed the president’s power to use military force without their approval

• 1976 Arms Export Control Act

President has ability to sell military equipment to countries only for self defense

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and another failed Conflict?

Management of World Issues through Détente?

Nixon Visits

China (1972)

Nixon Visits

Moscow (1974)

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

Why did the U.S. adopt Détente?

“The Vietnam Syndrome”

25 July 1969: The Nixon Doctrine

First, the United States will keep all of its treaty commitments.

Second, we shall provide a shield if a nuclear power threatens the freedom of a

nation allied with us or of a nation whose survival we consider vital to our

security.

Third, in cases involving other types of aggression, we shall furnish military and

economic assistance when requested in accordance with our treaty

commitments. But we shall look to the nation directly threatened to assume the

primary responsibility of providing the manpower for its defense.

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

Why did the U.S. adopt Détente?

“The Strategic Parity”

Knowledge of the

changing balance

of Nuclear Weapons

Capabilities between

the U.S. & U.S.S.R.

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

Why did the U.S. adopt Détente?

“The Sino-Soviet Split”

Changing Political

ideologies between

China and the

U.S.S.R.

U.S. no longer

required to face a

unified opposition

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and another failed Conflict?

Handling World Issues through Flexible Response?

1973 Yom Kippur War

• U.S. pledged support to Israel while

the Soviets supported Egypt and Syria

• Arab Oil Embargo is launched against

the U.S. by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

• U.S & Soviets brokered Cease Fire

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Historical Overview

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and another failed Conflict?

Strategic Arms Limitations Treaties (SALT I and II)

Ford & Brezhnev Sign SALT I in 1974 Carter & Brezhnev Sign SALT II in 1979

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

Handling World Tensions through Diplomacy?

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and rising tensions in the Middle East?

1978 Camp David Accords

Egypt’s President

Anwar Sadat &

Israel’s Prime Minister

Menachem Begin

signed peace

agreement brokered by

Pres. Jimmy Carter

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and rising tensions in the Middle East?

Soviet-Afghan War

1979 - 1989

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

Handling World Tensions through Diplomacy?

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and rising tensions in the Middle East?

1979 Iranian Revolution

Shah –vs- Ayatollah Khomeini

1979-81 Iranian Hostage Crisis

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

Continuing CIA Sponsored Operations?

Anti-Soviet Muhajideen in

Afghanistan (1979 - 1989)

Pro-Democracy Contras

in Nicaragua (1979 - 1990)

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and rising tension in the Middle East?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and the Collapse of Détente?

Debate over Détente Begins:

• Had détente been over sold?

• Was the world changing?

• Did the US overreact in 1979?

• Did the US under react before 1979?

(poor anticipation of problems)

• Were we too soft on the USSR?

• What was the Solution?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and the Collapse of Détente?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

Dilemma of Reagan’s

Confrontation Policy:

• containing the USSR,

• avoiding nuclear war,

• avoiding direct US intervention

• resolving current oil crisis

• but pressuring the USSR & the Arabs

• How do you oppose the spread of communism

while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and the Collapse of Détente?

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you pressure a weakening Soviet

Union while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and direct U.S. Intervention?

A New Wave of Communist Revolutions

Ethiopia 1974

Cambodia 1975

Vietnam 1975

Angola 1975

Mozambique 1975

Afghanistan 1979

Nicaragua 1979

Grenada 1979

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you pressure a weakening Soviet

Union while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and direct U.S. Intervention?

The Soviet’s preach the

supremacy of the state,

declare its omnipotence over

individual man and predict its

eventual domination of all

peoples on the Earth. They are

the focus of evil in the modern

world....

Ronald Regan, 1983

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you pressure a weakening Soviet

Union while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and direct U.S. Intervention?

America does possess the

technologies to attain very

significant improvements in the

effectiveness of our conventional,

nonnuclear forces. Proceeding

boldly with these new technologies,

we can significantly reduce any

incentive that the Soviet Union may

have to threaten attack against the

United States or its allies.

Ronald Regan’s SDI, 1983

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you pressure a weakening Soviet

Union while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and direct U.S. Intervention?

Marine Corps Barracks Bombing

in Beirut, Lebanon (23 Oct 1983)

U.S. Invasion of Grenada to oust

Cuban Rebels (25 Oct 1983)

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World

• How do you pressure a weakening Soviet

Union while avoiding possible Nuclear War

and direct U.S. Intervention?

Reagan ordered U.S. Air Force Bombings of Libya

as a result of Libyan attacks on U.S. Navy warships in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)

The Changing U.S. Strategies

Changing Policies in a Changing World