The Impact of the End of the Cold War on Us Foreign Policy

Discuss the impact of the supplant of the nippy war on US alien indemnity Introduction When the man noned liberal thinker Francis Fukuyama in his masterpiece declargond that we were witnessing the leftover of the history, he was greeting the natural political anatomical organize and alike the new external purlieu, which is peaceful1. However, developments that occurred after the pass on of the Soviet federation showed us that the dissolution of the Soviets was unexpected. The multi dry landal federation was not ready for peace and Fukuyamas optimistic assumptions were furthermost from becoming real.Moreover, the foreign society currently goed to realise that the tension and the authority of mass destructive war during the glacial warfare era had provided a oft more stable and securitize cosmos hunting lodge for both separate periods of the history. Recent developments that occurred after 9/11 attacks showed us that the world is not untold securer due to t he characteristics of this new type of threat which is unremarkably known and referred as terrorism. As being the flagship of the Western forces during the Cold warfare, the US is facing with much more pressure than before.Post- Cold war developments proved that although the US has the leaders features and military superiority against conventional threats or in other lyric poem known enemies, it is still lacking of showing the like attributes in the Post- chilly War era. This reputation is going to analyse the impact of the repeal of the Cold War on US foreign policy. In locate to do it so, it will provide historic background information on Cold War era and as well as the developments occurred after.Later on this paper will focus on the shifts that occurred in the Ameri terminate foreign policy after the Cold War. Basics of the Cold War Policies For almost quint decades the Cold War was the main stage for the evolution of international relations. more another(prenominal ) institutions, political or military organisations and even international norms and regulations of the Cold War are setting the base even for the modern day regime. so the legacy of the Cold War era is still shaping the political, stinting and social relationships within, and overly in between the states.Although there is no item agreement between the historians on when it began, the Cold War is the name assumption to approximately 50 years long conflict between the commie block purpose by Soviet Union and the Western nations led by United States of America. Cold War was a conflict, which did not admit any direct military engagements between these devil parties. On the other hand, it was fought by various types of means including diplomatic, economic and mostly by propaganda. In general basics of the Cold War era can be grouped chthonic 4 categories.These are 1) Bipolar System The primary(a) go forthcome of the stand by World War probably was the emergence of dickens superpowers which created a new and never been before experient trunk anytime in the history of international relations called bipolar system. A bipolar system includes two evenly matched powers in this case The US and the Soviet Union. erst allies during and opponents after the sustain World War, these two victorious states rich person became the main actors of the world politics for over 50 years. 2) The US extraneous Policy of ContainmentThe Soviet Union and its reliefers were declared as the enemy of the warrant world by the Western states mostly by the US during the Cold War. Although it has been argued that the inauguralborn indications of hostility between these two states nourish emerged during The Yalta and Potsdam conferences2, the first arguments on the soviet threat collect taken place between the American decision makers in late 1940s3. The main idea during these arguments was focusing on the essential brilliance of runing the Soviets, both politically and geographically in club to save and protect the US interests in overseas.In his reply to the US Treasury Department, George Kennan a former American diplomat, mentioned the expansionist policies of the Soviets and suggested that the US should go on an active foreign policy approach in order to contain the Soviets in its current (by late 40s) geographic borders4. In following years, when the Truman ism came into action the idea of containment has to a fault become one of the main strategies of the US against its opponent, the Soviets. 3) Crisis without Major ConflictsDissimilarity between the two blocs have produced a series of international crises during the Cold War such as the Soviets intervention in Germany/Berlin (1948), Korean War (1950-1953), Cuban Crisis (1962), Although both parties did not fight or exchange fire against each other. However, they did support the fighting groups and pick sides during these crises gibe to their national interests. 4) Second Strike Capabil ity & Mutual advised death Both superpowers of the Cold War era were also nuclear powers. They had passing effective and destructive nuclear weapons in their arsenal.Their nuclear capabilities were the main yard for the tension in the international society, during the Cold War. On the other hand, provided this capability of theirs was also the reason why they were no major conflicts or military clashes between these super powers. Each party had the ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attack party5. This ability is called second-strike capability. Obviously as a result of this nuclear might both parties could have altogether created a nuclear destruction not solitary(prenominal) for each other but also for the rest of the world as well6.That is why non- of the superpowers dared to attack the other one with its nuclear powers in order to eliminate the opposition, hostility, competition etc. The competition and increasing ken on democratic rights did force the Soviets to stand back and make whatsoever major policy changes in 1980s. The Soviet Premier of the time Gorbachev move to set some political and social reforms in the soviet society in order to remainder the pressure and help Soviets to continue to decease in the international arena. Moreover, the Soviets did not only make shifts in their essential policies but also in their foreign policy downstairsstanding as well.For instance withdrawal from Afghanistan, signing of various nuclear deterrence agreements with multi parties including the US are some of the key changes that occurred in the 1980s. However, the reforms of Gorbachev did not prevent the Soviets to hobble its collapse and eventually after a series of events in 1991 the Soviet Union formally announced its dissolution7. The First Ten Years Although the indications were redeem well before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world was not completely ready for the overthrow of the Co ld War.The US was left alone without any major balancing opponents. Furthermore, after the dissolution of the Soviets the numbers of newly complete independent states have increased significantly. All these new states were lacking of autonomous capabilities and also the Western vision, which was the victorious ideology of the Cold war. Moreover, some researchers courageously support the idea that international environment during the Cold War was much more safer and less hazardous system for the global security issues. historiographer Paul Dukes criticizes the former American decision makers of the Cold War for only trying to save the day but not working for the future8. He suggests that due to the lack of long-term policies of the US administrators, the world had to face with in like manner many new issues and problems at the same time with of the Cold War9. If we conclude the facts before we start analysing the American foreign policy approach to the end of the Cold War, we can see that there are now much more various types of threats then it used to be. The lack of long-term policies has got the world into an uncertainty.Not only the US but also most of the states got caught out without any preparation to the circumstances of the end of the Cold War. That is way the first decade after the Cold War had a crucial grandness for the US to establish, promote and also to maintain its supremacy and leadership approximately the world. We have seen the effects of the reforms occurred during the 1980s in the Soviet Union on the previous chapters. When these reforms combined with the ne Soviet policy of compromising have eased the tension and created a new dialogue between two superpowers.The first real challenge of the post-Cold War era was the Gulf War. patronage its historic connections in the UN Security Council meeting the Soviets (later Russian Federation) agreed to take economic sanctions against Iraq10. Although it seemed like the first positive internatio nal attitude towards a multi polar political system, the US policy makers misinterpreted the facts and started to crate a hegemonic power. The first real post-Cold War indication for Americas attempts to build a hegemonic power is the so-called New World effectuate (NWO) doctrine of the ranking(prenominal) scourings administration.The NOW came as a response from the US after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi military forces11. On phratry 11, 1990 former US president G. H. supply addressed the nation prior to a joint session of Congress and underlined the ideals that the US is automatic to fight for12. Some of the points that Bush underlined are ? A new structure of international system based on international law and norms under the leadership of the West (particularly the US) ? worldwide cooperation on the issues of nuclear disarmament and the procession of collective peace ? An integrated international financial structure International cooperation on regional issues. In other words lesser reign and much more international/humanitarian interventions13. Bushs NWO have been criticised by various social scientists. In his 1992 article Joseph Nye categorises the NWO as a traditionally realist documentation, due to key points that was emphasised in it such as the leadership of the US 14. However, another political scientist Freedman argues that the NWO gives special immensity to the UN and other multinational institutions and that is why it should be seen as a narrative of liberalism and also the promotion of liberal values and norms15.No field of study whose eyeshot is correct, Bushs NWO is a fine statement of the US foreign policy makers on the Western leadership in the world politics. there is a significant increase on the numbers of US back up humanitarian interventions since the end of the Cold War. One of the main reasons for this suitable environment for humanitarian intervention is the emergence of the newly established former communistic state s. Since the declaration of the NWO the US got more involved in world politics not only under the Bush administration but also under Bushs successors.Many of these humanitarian interventions, took place under the president Clintons administration especially in the Balkans. In order to understand the logic of these interventions it is essential to point out the main focuses of the Clinton administration. A few weeks after he took the office President Clinton mentioned the new challenges of the post-Cold War world on a speech at the American University. These challenges and goals are ? To restore the American economy to good health ? to increase the importance attached to trade and open markets for American business to help the ontogenesis countries grow faster ? to promote democracy in Russia and elsewhere ? to set up US leadership in the global economy16 The former communist states experienced series of problems during their transition periods. They not only suffered from disintegr ation but also they were also forced to redefine their national interest and roles in the unclouded of the radical change in the international balance of power17. As a consequence of establishing a sovereign nation state, especially in the Balkans, nationalistic movements grew and tuned into violent acts.The lack of an opposing superpower helped the US to obligate out the flag and start creating its global leadership. The US and its Northern Atlantic allies lunched series of military and civilian actions in order to ease the violence especially in the Balkans. During the Clinton administration US led conjunction forces carried out more than 20 military missions in Yugoslavia to put an end to the ongoing violence. Main critics for the US supported missions came from a very old(prenominal) place. Although NATO eased the tension in the Balkans with its operations, the Russia was critical of the NATO operations in the Balkans.Russia lively a resolution proposal of marriage to the U N Security Council to condemn NATO actions in Yugoslavia, though, the proposal was defeated 12-3 during the Security Council meeting, with only Russia, Namibia and China voting in favor of the resolution while NATO member countries along with the temporary members of the Security Council voted against it18. Hence, in general due to the sudden changes in the world politics it can be assumed that the uncertain environment and the need of a in the lead power led the international society to show full support on the US policies and foreign actions.Post-post Cold War? The tragic events of the September 11, 2001did not create a new era such as post-post Cold War. However, they did assist to end a decade of positivity19. The attacks have generated a new era and a dimension not only for the US policies but also for the rest of the world as well specifically on the issues of global security. Although the G. W. Bush administration got the full support of international society after the att acks and even during the Afghanistan intervention, with the start of the campaign against Iraq and Saddam ibn Talal Hussein regime the US started to lose its supporters.The US lost its soft power over the other states and even after President Obama took the office in 2008 elections it looks like the decline will continue. Conclusion Since the declaration of the Truman Doctrine until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tension between two major blocks led to many crucial events, which have changed the context of the international relations and also re-framed the discernment of the world politics. The effects of these major events, which occurred during the Cold War, are traceable in contemporary world politics and also in the working structure of todays international society.On the other hand, it should be noted that no matter how important are these Cold War based policies, the collapse of the Soviet Union has brought up a new dimension to the international relations. In general the international society faced with new radical changes with the end of the Cold War. The World has seen the implementation of various types of new policy changes in both Western and Eastern blocks. For example instead of fighting with socialism the US changed its role as the promoter and the fighter of the democracy and also the global security20.Furthermore, the former communist states focused and forced to rethink on issues of transition and liberalisation as well21. The US leadership started to lose its conjugation power within the first decade of the post 9/11 era. Unfortunately the Bush administration misread the consequences of both post-Cold War and also September 11 attacks. The administration acted much more unilaterally then its predecessor and also its successor. The support on the US supremacy/ leadership will continue to decline unless the US foreign policy makers start to interpreting correctly the current world system.The World is no nightlong a secure place. 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