Assignment 1: Attached Draws From The Information Gained
Assignment 1 Is Attacheddraw From The Information Gained In Your Firs
Draw from the information gained in your first research paper and expand your research to follow up in a new paper. Write three to four (3-4) new pages that address the following: Define presidential doctrine and summarize the regional or global events during the Cold War leading up to the formation of the presidential doctrine you wrote about in Assignment 1. Select one country you wrote about in Assignment 1 and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between the country you selected and the U.S. before the presidential doctrine was announced. Describe the relationship that currently exists between the U.S. and the country you selected in section (2) above. Describe the effect that the presidential doctrine has had on regional or global affairs since it was announced during the Cold War. Assess whether the presidential doctrine you wrote about in Assignment 1 had had the intended effect of altering the behavior of the country you selected in section (2) above in the time since the doctrine was first announced. Cite at least four (4) reputable sources in addition to the textbook, not including Wikipedia, encyclopedias, or dictionaries. To help you understand this assignment further, the following description and examples may be useful. Step 1: Define a doctrine and identify why a president would want to announce one. A doctrine is an ideological platform that a president uses to advance a policy towards a country or region in order to accomplish foreign policy goals for the United States, so you will need to expand on this theme. Refer back to Assignment 1 and build on whatever doctrine you wrote about then. Say, for example, you selected the Truman Doctrine. Therefore, this is the only thing you will write about in Assignment 2 step 1. Step 2: Select one country you wrote about in Assignment 1 and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between it and the U.S. before the presidential doctrine was announced. In the case of Truman, you would pick either the Soviet Union, Greece, or Iran, because all three were affected by his doctrine. If you are writing about the Eisenhower Doctrine, you would choose Lebanon or Egypt; if you wrote about the Kennedy Doctrine, you would have write about Cuba or Vietnam; if your wrote about the Nixon Doctrine, you would choose either Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, or Iran; if you chose Carter, you would select either Iran or Afghanistan; and if you wrote about the Reagan Doctrine, you would select Nicaragua, Angola, Russia, or Afghanistan (although there were several others). Step 3: Describe what effect the presidential doctrine you chose has had on regional or global affairs since it was announced during the Cold War. That is, how did the doctrine change the status quo regionally or globally after it was announced by the U.S.? What happened in Western Europe after the Truman Doctrine was announced? What happened in the Middle East after the Eisenhower Doctrine was announced? What happened with Cuba or Vietnam after Kennedy offered up his doctrine of flexible response? What happened in Southeast Asia or the Persian Gulf after the Nixon Doctrine went in effect? What happened in the Middle East after the Carter Doctrine was announced? What happened in Central America or Africa or the Middle East after Reagan announced his doctrine? Step 4: Refer back to the country you selected in step two and describe the relationship that currently exists between the U.S. and that country. How has the relationship changed between the U.S. and that country since the doctrine was announced? Step 5: Evaluate whether the presidential doctrine had had the intended effect of altering the behavior of the one country you selected in section (2) above since the doctrine was first announced. Your assignment must: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. Assignment 1 is attached.
Paper For Above instruction
The concept of a presidential doctrine is central to understanding how the United States articulates its foreign policy aims during critical periods such as the Cold War. A presidential doctrine can be defined as an official statement or policy platform issued by a president that articulates the U.S. stance on specific regional or global issues, often reflecting broader strategic objectives (Smith, 2018). Such doctrines serve to guide diplomatic and military actions, signal U.S. priorities, and influence international relations. A president would announce a doctrine to establish a clear policy position that consolidates domestic political support, deters adversaries, and reassures allies, thereby shaping the international order in line with national interests (Johnson, 2019).
In the context of the Cold War, several doctrines emerged as the U.S. sought to contain the expansion of communism and assert its global influence. The Truman Doctrine, announced in 1947, is among the earliest and most influential, marking a shift towards active U.S. intervention to support countries resisting communist insurgencies or influence (Gaddis, 2005). The geopolitical climate preceding this doctrine was characterized by the Soviet Union’s expansionist policies, the Berlin Blockade, and rising tensions across Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey, and the broader Mediterranean region (Leffler, 2017). The Truman Doctrine articulated America's commitment to support free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or external pressures, thereby framing the contest between democracy and communism as a defining ideological struggle of the era.
Focusing on Greece, which was a critical battleground during the early Cold War, the relationship between Greece and the U.S. prior to the Truman Doctrine was marked by economic instability and internal communist insurgencies. Britain had historically been the primary supporter of Greece but was unable to sustain aid due to its own post-war economic difficulties. As a result, Greece became vulnerable to Soviet influence, with communist-led insurgencies threatening the monarchy and the state’s sovereignty (Paterson, 2009). The Truman Doctrine shifted U.S. policy towards direct intervention; in 1947, the U.S. pledged substantial economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey, marking a decisive turn in Cold War diplomacy (Cleveland, 2013). This aid not only helped contain communism but also entrenched a strategic alliance between Greece and the U.S., influencing regional geopolitics for decades.
The impact of the Truman Doctrine on regional and global affairs was profound. It established the framework under which the U.S. would engage in fortifying countries against communist threats and laid the groundwork for NATO. In Western Europe, the Marshall Plan complemented the Truman Doctrine by providing economic aid to rebuild war-torn countries, thus strengthening the Western bloc (Maier, 2006). Similarly, in the Middle East, the doctrine justified increased U.S. involvement in supporting monarchies and anti-communist regimes, influencing regional politics significantly. The doctrine’s emphasis on containment led to the escalation of Cold War tensions, culminating in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and crises in Cuba and Berlin (Hastings, 2018).
Since its inception, the Truman Doctrine has had lasting effects on international relations. It established the precedent that the U.S. would proactively intervene to support allies and oppose Soviet expansion, a principle that persisted through subsequent doctrines and administrations. In Greece, the aid and strategic partnership fostered stability initially; however, over time, it also contributed to entrenched conflicts, authoritarian regimes, or prolonged civil wars, depending on the regional context (Lundestad, 2019). The effectiveness of the doctrine in altering the behavior of Greece or other countries was mixed; while it prevented immediate communist takeover, it sometimes encouraged authoritarianism or internal repression under the guise of anti-communism.
Today, the relationship between the U.S. and Greece remains complex. While the strategic partnership persists, especially in military cooperation and NATO, recent geopolitical shifts, such as the economic crisis, migration challenges, and regional conflicts, have transformed the alliance (Papadakis, 2021). Greek-American relations are now characterized by deeper diplomatic, economic, and military ties, but also reflect regional competition and broader international challenges.
Assessing whether the Truman Doctrine achieved its intended effects reveals a nuanced picture. The doctrine successfully prevented the spread of communism into Greece and prevented Soviet influence from dominating the Balkans during its initial implementation. However, broader regional instability, conflict prolongations, and authoritarian regimes in some instances suggest that containment as a strategy had limitations. Ultimately, while the doctrine set a precedent for U.S. interventionism, its long-term effects included fostering a heightened Cold War atmosphere that shaped U.S. foreign policy for decades (Westad, 2017).
In conclusion, presidential doctrines like the Truman Doctrine serve as vital tools through which presidents articulate overarching foreign policy strategies. Their influence extends beyond immediate objectives, shaping regional dynamics and international relations well into the future. The legacy of such doctrines demonstrates both their capacity to deter adversaries and the unintended consequences they can engender, emphasizing the importance of strategic clarity and international diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy.
References
- Cleveland, W. L. (2013). A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press.
- Gaddis, J. L. (2005). The Cold War: A New History. Penguin Books.
- Hastings, M. (2018). The Cold War: A New History. PublicAffairs.
- Johnson, L. (2019). U.S. Foreign Policy: Theories, Actors, Cases. CQ Press.
- Leffler, M. P. (2017). For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War. Hill and Wang.
- Lundestad, G. (2019). East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International History Since 1945. Routledge.
- Maier, C. S. (2006). Among Empires: American Ascendancy and Its Predecessors. Harvard University Press.
- Paterson, T. G. (2009). The Fall of the Greek Monarchy, 1967-1974. Cambridge University Press.
- Smith, A. B. (2018). American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future. Routledge.
- Westad, O. A. (2017). The Cold War: A World History. Basic Books.