The Cold War And U.S. Diplomacy

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy

The Reagan Doctrine was the foreign policy in the United States, legislated by President Ronald Reagan. This doctrine was design to eliminate the communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that were indorsed and validated by the Soviet Union. This assignment will summarize how the United States provided open and private support to guerrilla and resistance movements during the Regan years. In addition, explicate the diplomatic doctrine specific events that occurred in Afghanistan when the Soviet Union invaded . Finally, this assignment will describe the advantages and disadvantages based on the Regan Doctrine.

Summarize The Situation of U.S. Diplomatic of The Regan Doctrine

Throughout the opening years of the Cold War, Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter all sanctioned policies against communism in order to contain it. Ronald Regan rejected their détente policy in 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. This alone proved that policies that only contain communism were ineffective. Regan disapproved in the compromise policy when it came to any communist government. Instead, Reagan proposed the Rollback strategy. The making of the Reagan Doctrine shifted from containment and spreading to eliminating all current communist governments. Furthermore, the United States wanted to increase and encourage democracy and capitalism in replacement of ousted communist regimes (Conservapedia, 2012).

Implementation of the Regan Doctrine was to provide overt and covert support to guerrilla and resistance movements in countries were the Soviet Union wanted to spread their communist's agenda or were eradicate an existing regime (Conservapedia, 2012). The doctrine was in full operation when The Soviet Union without provocation and with overpowering force invaded Afghanistan in 1979. This roll back of Soviet power met little resistance form the international community except Central America. Internally, Democrats in Congress warned that the Regan Doctrine would eventually lead to a nuclear war in response; they attempted to hinder and stop the implementation of the doctrine (Conservapedia, 2012). Historian Barbara Tuchman disagreed with Regan confrontation doctrine and wanted the United States to pursue the stuff goose strategy. This option was to provide then Soviet Union with consumer goods and all the grain they needed. Nevertheless, despite Regan's lack of foreign policy credentials his pursuit to stop the "Evil Empire," would not deter him. However, some people believed he was a precarious warmonger (Souza, 1997).

Explicate the Regan Doctrine and Specific Actions and Events

With the war in Afghanistan well into a year, most of the international community believed that the Soviet Union was all-powerful and to stop them would lead into a nuclear war.

In an article written in the Third World Quarterly, by Andrew Hartman titled, The Red Template: US Policy in Soviet-Occupied Afghanistan." The broad framework of US foreign policy in the era of the Cold War, as well as other eras, the U.S. must adhere to the bottom line. This means, protecting a constructive investment environment for private business benefits (Hartman, 2002). In 1981, former Pakistani Dictator and General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, understood US Policy bottom line. In a meeting with William Casey, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the dictator presented Casey with a map of the Near East illustrating how the Soviet Union occupation is moving towards Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea. General Mohammed suggested that if the US does not intervene, the Soviets would create great economic disturbance in the area (Hartman). Of course, the CIA knew that this was not only possible but a fact. The Regan Doctrine not only stops the spread of communism but to eradicate the "Evil Empire" is the core essence of U.S. policy.

The next action was that the CIA initiated a covert war against the Soviet Union. Just as during the Cold War, the Soviets campaign to initiate and expand was met with the response of U.S involvement. This situation was no different.

Describe the effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. and other countries.

As stated previously, The US foreign policy is driven by the bottom line. Communism is a threat to a capitalist country, therefore the Reagan Doctrine is only strengthened. US policy makers understood that if the Soviets were allowed to expand towards Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea capitalism and democratic societies would be in grave danger. The oil rich field in those areas could not be control by any communist regime. The main economic motivation for hegemony in Afghanistan, Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea is make certain that the U.S. provide military logistics and support to anti-Soviet armies and or guerrilla and resistance movements. The U.S. diplomatic efforts are to also keep these oil rich countries as a private interest and not under the control of a communism.