Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy
Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy
Presidential doctrines can be described as the main attitudes, goals and stances, which the various presidents of the United States outline for the foreign affairs. As one continues to study the presidential doctrines, they realize that most of the presidential doctrines are somewhat related and linked to the cold war (Rossides, Academy of Political Science and Conference, 1998).
The presidential doctrines, in a summation, can be understood better as items and ideologies that completely characterized the foreign policy of a number of United States’ presidents (Ray, 2004). They are ideological platforms that a president uses as a means of advancing a policy in a given country. The aim is to accomplish a specific foreign policy goal for the United States.
The United States has a number of doctrines, but this essay will analyze the Truman doctrine in relation to the existing relationship that existed before and after the doctrines between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Truman doctrine was announced in 1947, and it was a simple and clear warning to the USSR against its spread of communism (Schulzinger, 2002).
Truman was explicit in his doctrine, clearly outlining the fact that USA would intervene to support and help any country that was being threatened with a takeover by an armed minority. The effect of the Truman doctrine can be assessed in terms of the background before and the immediate aftermath (Watson, Gleek and Grillo, 2003).
The doctrine was aimed at ensuring any country that was under siege from the communist rule would be helped to ensure that that fought off the communists’ rulers. As expected, the doctrine had a number of consequences in some places in Europe. The western part of Europe, for instance, had a huge and powerful presence of communism. In essence, these moves were looked at as an immediate response to the Soviet Union moves to purge and spread communism in Eastern Europe. The relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were hampered after the declaration of the Truman doctrine (Pelt, 2000).
The doctrine was not only aimed at supporting the rights of the majority against the minority, but also to stump out and challenge the soviet union’s desire to conquer; this came with a number various tragic bearings to it. President Roosevelt had worked together with Stalin and, therefore, the relations between the two countries in terms of foreign affairs were in order (Watson, Gleek and Grillo, 2003).
After the declaration of the doctrine, scholars have argued that it went ahead to crystallize the emerging cold were that was ensuing between the USA and the Soviet Union. This was achieved by the fact that the United States was proclaiming to play a leading role in reshaping and redefining international politics. In an attempt to ensure that the western part of Europe was kept from communism and minority rule, the United States efforts were later underlined as the forerunners of the cold war (Ray, 2004).
The western part of Europe was greatly affected and impacted by the Truman doctrine. The aim of the doctrine was to ensure that the Soviet Union spread of communism was contained. To an extent, its intentions were achieved through the doctrine. The spread of communism was kept out of the western part of Europe. Greece and turkey were some of the beneficiaries of Truman doctrine and the USA financial and military aid.
Looking at the relationship between the contemporary Russia and the USA, one can assert that the diplomatic ties are still hampered. The Russian nation is still in an effort to stamp its presence and power to a number of nations. Ukraine is the most recent victim of the Russian gluttony, formerly the Soviet Union; Russian continues to subdue minority nations. However, the United States has time and again come up to defend these nations (Rossides, Academy of Political Science and Conference, 1998).
The diplomatic relations between Russia and the USA continue to face critical tests over the years. The mutual trust that existed between the two countries has been destroyed. The United States is out to establish its supremacy by protecting the smaller and minority nations. In the past few decades, Russia has continued to wreak havoc among its neighboring countries. This means that the United States and Russia will continue to experience conflicts in today and in the near future. As long as Russia continues to subdue nations like Ukraine, one can always expect to see the USA intervene, an action that results in compromised diplomatic ties.
In reference to the effect of the doctrine, one can conclude that the Truman doctrine did not achieve the desired effect. In actual sense, it did destroy the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. One learns that, foreign affairs is an important aspect of any given country. It provides guidelines that control and direct the relationship between one country, and another. The Truman doctrine provides a perfect example of the effect and impact of foreign policies on international politics and relations.
References
Pelt, M. (2000). A Lopsided triangle: The reconstruction of Greece and the United States and West Germany, 1945-1967. København: Museum Tusculanum.
Ray, A. K. (2004). Western realism and international relations: A non-western view. New Delhi: Foundation Books.
Rossides, E. T., Academy of Political Science, & Conference. (1998). The Truman doctrine of aid to Greece: A fifty-year retrospective ; [the American Hellenic Institute Foundation was pleased to initiate a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. on March 12-13, 1997]. New York: Acad. of Political Science [u.a..
Schulzinger, R. D. (2002). U.S. diplomacy since 1900. New York: Oxford University Press.
Watson, R. P., Gleek, C., & Grillo, M. (2003). Presidential doctrines: National security from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
