American Presidency
Cyle Parker
Dr. Mark Leeper
December 12th 2007
All the Worlds’ a Stage; A Foreign Policy FOR America?
In depth look at Presidential Policies and Action between the United States & neighboring
Soviet nations in the 21st Century
Often on the world stage, the relationships and tensions that play out between the superpowers of the globe has always been complex. How each leader of each respected nation handles these crises sets the foundation from which future leaders will derive effective solutions. There is the natural inclination to achieve dominance on the world stage, while trying to keep a stable relationship with neighboring world powers. The United States and the USSR had been recognized as superpowers since the end of World War II. “Boosting America into a foreign policy arms race, the United States’ Manhattan Project led to atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.” (Cohen, 20) In 1949, the USSR surprised the world by breaking the United States’ monopoly on atomic weapons by exploding their own atomic bomb. In 1952, the United States developed and exploded a thermonuclear weapon, also known as the hydrogen bomb. In the following year, the USSR followed suit by detonating their hydrogen bomb. On a global playground for men with big guns, quickly it was realized that our two countries had major ideological differences. The American system of free market capitalism was in stark contrast to Soviet communism. (Cohen 54, 84) The American economy was built, made and sustained by self-made men who had brought themselves from “rags-to-riches”. This stereotype was further perpetuated by American authors of the time and living examples of true life heroes of American industry such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. The USSR’s communist ideology was based on the belief that every person should have the same social status as everyone else with no citizens outranking in elite classes. Both countries began to stockpile nuclear weapons and the period known as the “Cold War” began when World War II ended. What culminating actions on either side caused this “warm tension” to become a period in our nation’s history blemished with tales of espionage and counter-espionage between our two countries, each trying to get political and technological advantage over the other? This unofficial conflict lasted throughout each presidential administration predating Jimmy Carters induction until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 during the Bush Sr. administration. This essay will examine the events, policies and actions during each of the Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations that eased tensions between the countries or kept them apart.
Ford Administration
Gerald Ford, the thirty-eighth president of the United States of America came took the oath in office on August 9, 1974 after Nixon had resigned. He was known as the “Accidental President” and declared, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances... This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts,” after swearing in. Ford had been vice president for the previous two years under Nixon’s term until his resignation. Ford was viewed by himself as a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs. For the first term of his presidency, “Ford entrusted the foreign policy in the hands of the US Secretary of State, Kissinger, which gave Ford plenty of time to meet and become friends with world leaders. Ford met with the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhneve and the leaders of other European nations to sign the Helsinki Accords in 1975, which recognized the existing boundaries after the second world war.” (Cohen 201-203) Strong states on human rights, which later in the Carter term would be used to hold the Soviets responsible for their actions in the Eastern European nations were included in the accords. Mr. Ford called for greater increases in defense spending to throw back at his critics who said that the accords had accepted the Soviet ruling in eastern European countries. Disagreements dealing with limits on Soviet bombers and American cruise missiles resulted in a failure to talk about negotiating and agreeing with the Soviet Union about limiting production and deployment of nuclear weapons.
The communist armies of Laos, South Vietnam, and Cambodia consolidated their ruling over all of Indochina during President Ford’s term. In 1974 he asked for an infusion to help aid the Southern Vietnam troops to fight back against a major offensive force in the north. The US congress turned this down and refused to honor a commitment made by the notorious former president, Richard Nixon to “help the South in case of an invasion. Ford had little choice but to order the evacuation of all of the American troops as communist troops seized on Saigon in 1975. The north had infiltrated all of the South within days. Khmer Rouge, Cambodian communists, charged an American cargo ship with its thirty-eight American crew on board. The president, mandated a commando raid to release the crew. In the raid, forty-five Americans were killed on the island of Koh Tang. Kissinger and Ford showed the return of the ship as a victory on the US’s part which led to Ford gaining more public support.”(Dallek 207-208)
Carter Administration
James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia. He had 3 siblings, 2 sisters (Gloria and Ruth) and a brother named William. He was a southern Democrat, also sometimes known as a Dixie-Crat. Following his high school education in his home town, Carter attended the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He ran for presidential office on the Democratic ticket in 1976, as the former Governor of Georgia. He defeated the incumbent Gerald Ford who was Republican. President Carter’s agenda was mainly one of domestic issues such as unemployment and Civil rights. Carter’s stance on foreign affairs was one of diplomacy. He received worldwide attention in 1977 when supported human rights movements in the USSR and other nations1. U. S. – Soviet relations were strained when the Soviets deployed medium-range nuclear weapons in Europe. A huge blow was dealt to this relationship when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979 and early 1980 and U. S.-Soviet relations were at their lowest point in some time.
As a result of this invasion by the Soviet Union, the U. S placed an embargo on American grain to the USSR. The U. S also sent weapons to the group of rebels (known as the Taliban) fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. “Weapons such as the stinger anti-air missile were given to help the Taliban. Carter also pressed for a U. S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, which was carried out by the American athletes. President Carter gave the go ahead on a new missile system, know as the MX. This further strained international relations as only a new nuclear weapons system can.
Things were not all bad between the U. S. and the Soviet Union during Carter’s presidency. In 1979 the Carter administration and Soviet officials negotiated a treaty to limit the use of nuclear arms by the U. S. and the USSR. It was known as the S. A.L. T. II treaty because it resulted from the second round of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The treaty would not take effect however unless it was approved by the U. S. Senate.”(Pika, Maltese 374) Carter had hoped to continue the policy of the easing of tensions or strained relations with the Soviet Union, however his appointment to the National Security Council of Brzezinski gave him an adviser who was intensely suspicious of Soviet motives, and led Carter into several major meetings with the Russians. “Carter ordered a large five-year defense buildup that the Soviets found provocative.” (Hastedt 236) “The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to quash a Muslim-based rebellion outraged the United States in return.”(Pika, Maltese 374)The guerrilla war that ensued put a crimp in arms control talks between Moscow and Washington. The two sides had signed SALT II, a treaty limiting the deployment of nuclear missiles, and as mentioned above, the treaty had already been sent to the Senate. “After the invasion it was clear that the Senate would take no action. Carter withdrew the treaty, but Moscow and Washington agreed to follow the rules, even though neither side signed it” (Hastedt 237, 240)
Carter ordered a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games by U. S. athletes in punishment for the USSR invading Afghanistan. Because much of the American public of the time considered this to be more of a punishment aimed towards American swimmers and runners than Soviet leaders, Carter's response only reinforced his weak image.
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