Cold War Foreign Policy – Flashcards

2. spread of communism Explanation: The Truman Doctrine was request to the US Congress for assistance for Greece and Turkey (weapons, food, aid) in their on-going struggle against Communism within their nations. The Marshall plan was billions of dollars in US aid for the war revenged nations of Europe, following the Second World War. The intention of the Marshall plan was to provide an incentive for the nations of Europe to reject a move to communism and allow a stable transition to democratic governments.

1. eliminate unfriendly governments geographically close to the United States Explanation: Concepts such as the Monroe Doctrine (1823) and the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904), have given the US a greater involvement in the affairs of Latin American nations. The US backed, failed attempt to unseat Fidel Castro as leader of Cuba in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and the arrest of convicted drug trafficker and Panamanian President Manuel Noriega, illustrated this on-going involvement.

3. C Explanation: Speaker C is describing the main idea behind the US policy of containment. The concept of containment was one in which the US government exercised a foreign policy that aimed to halt the spread of communism. Actions such as the Marshall Plan's aid to European economies after WWII, the Truman Doctrine's aid to Greece and Turkey as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars referenced above, all serve as examples of this policy in action.

3. C and D Explanation: An interventionist foreign policy called for the United States to be actively involved in the affairs of other nations. Speaker C speaks of containment, which would be exemplified by actions such as the Korean and Vietnam wars. Speaker D seems to speak of imperialism, such as the US takeover of the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. Both of these policies show a link to the idea of intervention in the affairs of foreign nations.

4. collective security Explanation: The concept of collective security is best summarized by the statement provided; "An attack on one shall be considered an attack on all.". Collective security became a goal following WWII. Following the war, the United States and the nations of Western Europe formed the collective security arrangement NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as a method of stopping the spread of communism. The collective security arrangement means that even the smallest nation in NATO not fear invasion by communist forces, as to do so would mean a war with all NATO members. The US is a member of several other collective security arrangements such as SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organization).

2. Soviet domination of Eastern Europe Explanation: At the end of World War II the Soviet Union did not withdraw from the Eastern European nations that it had liberated from German control. Instead, the USSR set up communist governments in these nations, who were directly under the domination and control of Moscow. The US and Western European governments feared the USSR would attempt to expand the 'Iron Curtain' of communism further. The resulting fear, mistrust and confrontation, gave birth to the nearly 50 year long Cold War.

1. carry out the United States policy of preventing the spread ofcommunism Explanation: The Truman Doctrine was request to the US Congress for assistance for Greece and Turkey (weapons, food, aid) in their on-going struggle against Communism within their nations. The Marshall plan was billions of dollars in US aid for the war revenged nations of Europe, following the Second World War. The intention of the Marshall plan was to provide an incentive for the nations of Europe to reject a move to communism and allow a stable transition to democratic governments. The Eisenhower Doctrine pledged assistance to any Middle Eastern nation who was fighting a communist insurgency. All three of these serve to exemplify the US policy of containment towards communism.

3. lack of a formal declaration of war by Congress Explanation: In both the Korean and Vietnam 'conflicts' no formal declaration of war by the US Congress was given. In the case of Korea, the conflict was a 'police action' carried out by the United Nations. In the case of Vietnam, the issuance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) gave then president Lyndon Johnson nearly unlimited power to "repel any armed attack against the United States and to prevent further aggression". In reaction to both of these conflicts, Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 which calls for the president as Commander-in-Chief to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and to end such a conflict after 60 days, unless approved by Congress.

3. organized global systems of alliances Explanation: The United States prior to World War II, followed mostly a policy of neutrality and nonintervention. Following the war, the United States and the nations of Western Europe formed the collective security arrangement NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as a method of stopping the spread of communism and the US was a leader in the creation of the United Nation. Both these organizations changed the direction of US foreign policy and called on the US to take a much more active role on the world stage.

4. limiting Soviet expansion Explanation: The Truman Doctrine was request to the US Congress for assistance for Greece and Turkey (weapons, food, aid) in their on-going struggle against Communism within their nations. The Marshall plan was billions of dollars in US aid for the war revenged nations of Europe, following the Second World War. The intention of the Marshall plan was to provide an incentive for the nations of Europe to reject a move to communism and allow a stable transition to democratic governments. In 1949 the USSR controlled, communist government of Eastern Germany blockaded access to the democratic, western half of Berlin (the city of Berlin was totally contained within Eastern Germany). Truman responded by ordering the Berlin Airlift, a dropping of food, medicine and supplies into the city by plane. These cases exemplify the policy of containment toward communism.

4. establishing policies of economic and military aid for European nations Explanation: Two examples of these policies in action were the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The Truman Doctrine was request to the US Congress for assistance for Greece and Turkey (weapons, food, aid) in their on-going struggle against Communism within their nations. The Marshall plan was billions of dollars in US aid for the war revenged nations of Europe, following the Second World War. The intention of the Marshall plan was to provide an incentive for the nations of Europe to reject a move to communism and allow a stable transition to democratic governments.

1. represented United Nations efforts to assist nations in repelling aggressors Explanation: In the case of Korea, the conflict was a 'police action' carried out by the United Nations to repel the invasion of South Korea by the communist North Korea. In the Gulf War, the UN responded to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait with a international force intent on repelling the aggressor. Both conflicts serve as examples of the UN's ability to compile multinational forces for the purpose of maintaining peace and regional stability.

4. develop the Marshall Plan Explanation: The Marshall plan was billions of dollars in US aid for the war revenged nations of Europe, following the Second World War. The intention of the Marshall plan was to provide an incentive for the nations of Europe to reject a move to communism and allow a stable transition to democratic governments.

3. President Truman believed that General MacArthur's conduct threatened the concept of civilian control over the military Explanation: During the Korean War, General Douglass MacArthur led UN forces against the communist North Korean aggressors. He was also an outspoken critic of the conduct of the war and the leadership of President Harry S. Truman as Commander-in-Chief. After MacArthur openly defied a direct order from Truman concerning the pursuit of North Korean forces into Chinese held territory, Truman fired MacArthur. The firing serves as a classic example of civilian control over the military, as the president in his role as Commander-in-Chief is an elected, civilian official, not a member of the armed forces.

4. a treaty banning nuclear tests Explanation: During the 1970's, mostly under the leadership of President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, there occurred a 'warming' of the Cold War also called détente. The result of improved relations with the Soviet Union was a series of agreements designed to limited arms and nuclear proliferation. Examples include the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) Agreement which established limits on the numbers of offensive weapons and the ABM (Antiballistic Missile Treaty) which banned space based weapons and limited defensive missile development as to avert another potential 'arms race'.

1. The policy of containment was applied in Asia as well as in Europe Explanation: The concept of containment was one in which the US government exercised a foreign policy that aimed to halt the spread of communism. In Southeast Asia, this policy was also coupled with the 'Domino Theory', which held that stopping the spread of communism into one small nation (like South Korea or Vietnam) was essential in preventing a domino effect that would cause all other nations in the region to also fall under communist domination.

3. a reluctance to commit United States troops for extended military action abroad Explanation: The US experience in Vietnam was one that left lasting changes to society's expectations and tolerance for war. The widespread protests against the Vietnam conflict, fueled by video and images of the conflict on the nightly news, left an indelible mark. As a result, the US has been reluctant to send troops into a ground conflict. The US military has instead increased its capacity to make war from the air and from a distance. Developments such as the stealth fighter, stealth bomber and long-range cruise missiles have taken over the roles once filled by American fighting men on the front lines. The nearly all long distance air wars in the Persian Gulf and Kosovo serve as examples of this new approach to combat.

2. the containment of communism Explanation: The Truman Doctrine was request to the US Congress for assistance for Greece and Turkey (weapons, food, aid) in their on-going struggle against Communism within their nations. The Eisenhower Doctrine pledged assistance to any Middle Eastern nation who was fighting a communist insurgency. All three of these serve to exemplify the US policy of containment towards communism.

1. limit Presidential power to send troops into combat Explanation: In both the Korean and Vietnam 'conflicts' no formal declaration of war by the US Congress was given. In the case of Korea, the conflict was a 'police action' carried out by the United Nations. In the case of Vietnam, the issuance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) gave then president Lyndon Johnson nearly unlimited power to "repel any armed attack against the United States and to prevent further aggression". In reaction to both of these conflicts, Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 which calls for the president as Commander-in-Chief to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and to end such a conflict after 60 days, unless approved by Congress.

2. President Kennedy was encouraging a very strong presence in foreign policy in the post-World War II period. Explanation: The United States prior to World War II, followed mostly a policy of neutrality and nonintervention. Following the war, the United States and the nations of Western Europe formed the collective security arrangement NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as a method of stopping the spread of communism and the US was a leader in the creation of the United Nation. Both these organizations changed the direction of US foreign policy and called on the US to take a much more active role on the world stage.

4. commit troops to major military operations in a foreign nation Explanation: In both the Korean and Vietnam 'conflicts' no formal declaration of war by the US Congress was given. In the case of Korea, the conflict was a 'police action' carried out by the United Nations. In the case of Vietnam, the issuance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) gave then president Lyndon Johnson nearly unlimited power to "repel any armed attack against the United States and to prevent further aggression". In reaction to both of these conflicts, Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 which calls for the president as Commander-in-Chief to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and to end such a conflict after 60 days, unless approved by Congress.

4. taking a variety of actions to prevent the spread of communism Explanation: At the end of World War II the Soviet Union did not withdraw from the Eastern European nations that it had liberated from German control. Instead, the USSR set up communist governments in these nations, who were directly under the domination and control of Moscow. The US and Western European governments feared the USSR would attempt to expand the 'Iron Curtain' of communism further. The resulting fear, mistrust and confrontation, gave birth to the nearly 50 year long Cold War. The main policy towards communism at this time was one of containment, in which the US government exercised a foreign policy that aimed to halt the spread of communism. Actions such as the Marshall Plan's aid to European economies after WWII, the Truman Doctrine's aid to Greece and Turkey as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars referenced above, all serve as examples of this policy in action.

3. United Nations took action to halt the aggression Explanation: In the case of Korea, the conflict was a 'police action' carried out by the United Nations to repel the invasion of South Korea by the communist North Korea. In the Gulf War, the UN responded to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait with a international force intent on repelling the aggressor. Both conflicts serve as examples of the UN's ability to compile multinational forces for the purpose of maintaining peace and regional stability.

2. advancement of national self interest Explanation: The foreign policies followed the United States have always tended towards the preservation of our own interests, at home and abroad. This has been true as far back as the presidency of George Washington. In his farewell address George Washington warned the fledgling America to stay clear of "entangling alliances" with the Europeans, but to continue economic ties with the continent. This served US interests by keeping us from being caught in a European conflict, while maintaining economic interests with all nations. Even the Marshall Plan, which sought to halt the spread of communism via economic aid to struggling European nations following WWII, had the economic side-effect of increasing US trade to Europe as their economies recovered. It is clear that US foreign policies are generally linked with both to ideology as well as economics.

4. provoked domestic debate about its involvement in the internal affairs of other nations Explanation: Many of the protestors opposed to US involvement in the Vietnam conflict believed the United States was overstepping its role by involving itself in Vietnam's internal struggles. Many disagreed with the government's assertion of the domino theory and believed that is was not the US's role to play "policeman". Many of the voices of dissent during the Philippine war of the early 20th century (such as William Jennings Bryan), questioned how the US could hold the ideals of democracy and freedom, while denying it to the Filipino people.

1. support to developing nations of the world

1. remove a communist dictator from power

4. can be strongly affected by public opinion

3. breakup of the Soviet Union

4. no formal declaration of war was made by Congress

4. providing military aid to Greece and Turkey

2. Cuba

4. give support to developing nations

3. limit the spread of communism

3. creating the Marshall Plan

1. détente

4. negotiation of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)

1. support Greece in its fight against communist aggression

2. The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite.

1. military involvement in Vietnam

3. ease tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union

1. Rivalries between the superpowers often involved conflicts in other nations.