The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Sample

President Nixon became president in 1968 and in his inaugural reference on 20th January. 1969 he pledged to convey the state together once more. Like Johnson. the information from his advisors helped organize his determinations ; his most of import advisor being Henry Kissinger ( Meiertons. 2010. p. 143 ) . Kissinger was really knowing when it came to foreign dealingss. Together. they tried many ways to settle the struggle in Vietnam. It took several old ages to stop American engagement at that place. “The American attempts were both diplomatic and military. The Nixon disposal started new. secret peace negotiations in Paris taking to the disposal retreating some military personnels from Vietnam” ( Kimball. 2006. p. 6 ) . The Nixon disposal had been principally interested with the Vietnam War and the promotion of detente with the Soviet Union and China during its initial old ages in office.

1. “Summarize a state of affairs that required U. S. diplomatic attempts for the U. S. and other countries” ( Strayer University. 2012. Course Guide ) . “In the bit by bit more unsafe environment of the Cold War. Nixon wanted to convey the Soviet Union to the bargaining tabular array. And he worried that China — the most thickly settled state on Earth — was populating in “angry isolation”” ( Meiertons. 2010. p. 145 ) . In Nixon’s inaugural reference. he said. “The greatest honor history can confer is the rubric of conciliator. This award now beckons America” ( Kimball. 2006. p. 4 ) . On Monday. February 21. 1972. President Nixon touched down in Beijing. China. in the presidential jet. Nixon was notified that his first meeting with Premier Zhou En Lai would be in three hours. “It was customary at the clip to rapidly acquire of import figures to their meetings so that nil could interfere with diplomatic proceedings. President Nixon met with his hosts at the Great Hall of the People. where the negotiations would run from 40 proceedingss to four hours” ( Small. 2003. p. 27 ) . Throughout the meetings. they sought to make aims for what the two states wanted to accomplish reciprocally. “They set up clear understandings on where each stood with respect to the territorial acquisitions of mainland China. and their common chariness of the Soviet menace.

Although the transcripts of the negotiations were extremely classified at the clip. they were released to the populace in 1999” ( Meiertons. 2010. p. 148 ) . The meetings were seen so. and today. as a historic span between the U. S. and China. The narrative of Nixon’s radical trip to China was loaded with discretion and clever scheme by the two leaders. “Under the shroud of Cold War political relations. President Richard M. Nixon. fervent Cold War warrior. in secret initiated the beginning of the terminal of the Cold War. but he couldn’t have done it without playing the Chinese off against the Soviets and without the cooperation of communist Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou En Lai” ( Kimball. 2006. p. 10 ) . 2. “Explicate the diplomatic philosophy the president followed. with mention to specific actions or events that occurred” ( Strayer University. 2012. Course Guide ) . President Nixon’s philosophy was to provide arms but non military personnels to states contending off communism. “First. the United States will maintain all of its pact committednesss.

Second. we shall supply a shield if a atomic power threatens the freedom of a state allied with us or of a state whose endurance we consider critical to our security. Third. in instances affecting other types of aggression. we shall supply military and economic aid when requested in conformity with our pact committednesss. But we shall look to the state straight threatened to presume the primary duty of supplying the work force for its defense” ( Darnish. 2003. Para. 2 ) . This was from President Nixon’s address “Vietnamization” in 1969. Vietnamization was a U. S. policy during the Vietnam War which gave the South Vietnamese authorities ultimate duty for the war to let for the backdown of American military personnels ( Small. 2003. p. 26 ) . SALT I ( Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty ) dialogues were being held in 1970 with the Soviets while secret negotiations were traveling on with the Chinese in order to deflect attending from the backdown from Vietnam. 3. “Describe the effects of these diplomatic attempts for the U. S. and other countries” ( Strayer University. 2012. Course Guide ) .

Nixon was able to make congenial communications with both China and the Soviet Union. “Nixon’s summit meetings with Leonid Brezhnev resulted in the ABM pact ( Anti-Ballistic Missile ) and the two SALT understandings that saw both powers holding to stop dead the figure of ballistic and atomic arms and level bing stockpiles” ( Meiertons. 2010. p. 146 ) . Nixon’s constitution of good-natured traffics with Beijing and Moscow in bend condensed their support of North Vietnam. This allowed Nixon the ability to practically name for the de-escalation in Vietnam and recognize his purpose to “withdrawal with honor” ( Meiertons. 2010. p. 148 ) . Nixon’s visit to China was the first of all time by any American president which was a large measure in the right way every bit far as demoing some integrity in the battle against Communism. China and the U. S. showed the universe that they could set their differences aside for the good of the universe. His visit to China besides eliminated the opportunity that China and the Soviet Union would fall in forces and go a immense Communist world power.

When Nixon visited the Soviet Union. he was able to play his “China card” in order to speak to the Soviets about atomic decrease and trade. ( Darnish. 2003. Para. 4 ) 4. “Assess. in decision. the advantages and disadvantages of the peculiar philosophy that was followed” ( Strayer University. 2012. Course Guide ) . The advantages of Nixon’s philosophy were no American casualties since the U. S. would non direct over their military. “It straight faced the basic political world of the war: that Americans could non enforce a authorities on a people who would non accept it” ( Kimball. 2006. p. 12 ) .

It opened the door for an ultimate backdown by the U. S. . decreasing the casualties of U. S. forces in any communist clangs that may follow. Nixon’s philosophy besides allowed the United States to be able to contend its ain wars. while in some manner destabilising its challengers by imparting a manus to its Alliess in their differences. The disadvantages would be the fiscal load. The U. S. would be providing arms to contend a war that we had no military. Another disadvantage would be that the U. S. would hold to trust entirely on a military that may non be every bit strong as the United States to acquire the occupation done. Even though. the U. S. would non be directing any military. other states would still see this as the United States endorsing their enemy. in bend seting a mark on the United States.

Mentions

Roskin. Michael. & A ; Berry. Nicholas ( 2010 ) . Iridium: The New World of International Relations ( 8th ed. ) . ( Edition for Strayer University ) Upper Saddle River. New jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall Small. Melvin ( 2003 ) . The Presidency of Richard Nixon. Lawrence. KS: University Press of Kansas

Meiertons. Heiko ( 2010 ) . The Doctrines of US Security Policy – An Evaluation under International Law. Cambridge University Press. UK.

Kimball. Jeffrey ( 2006 ) . The Nixon Doctrine: A Saga of Misunderstanding. Boulder. Carbon monoxide: Rowman & A ; Littlefield

Darnish. Scott ( 2003. June 7 ) . The Bequest of Nixon. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved April 27. 2012 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. presidential term. ucsb. edu/ .