America’s Role
in the
Changing
World
USHC 8.6
USHC 8.6
Summarize
America’s role in
the changing world, including
the dissolution of the Soviet
Union, the expansion of the
European Union, the continuing
crisis in the Middle East, and the
rise of global terrorism.
Foreign Policy
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Conservatives and liberals interpret foreign
policy from different perspectives.
Conservatives credit United States policy with
the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Liberals credit forces within the Soviet Union
for bringing about change.
When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader
of the Soviet Union in 1985, he advocated
glasnost (openness) and perestroika
(economic restructuring).
End of Cold War
 Soviet-bloc
nations were also seeking
change, including independence
movements within Poland and the Baltic
states.
 The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan placed
a strain on the Soviet economy and it was
near collapse.
 The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989
signaled the waning power of the Soviet
Union and symbolized the end of the Cold
War.
End of Cold War
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Soviet hardliners attempted to overthrow
Gorbachev and the resulting confusion led to the
break up of the Soviet Union into separate states.
Controversy surrounds what role the United States
played in this result.
Certainly the buildup of arms throughout the Cold
War and especially during the Reagan
administration placed added strain on the Soviet
economy.
However, the Soviet Union fell from internal
problems rather than as a direct result of the
American policy of containment.
End of Cold War
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At the end of World War II, the United States
assisted European nations in their recovery from
the war in order to serve as a strong bulwark
against the spread of communism.
While the United States continued to protect
Europe through the North American Treaty
Organization (NATO) and the deployment of
weapons in Europe to confront the Soviet threat,
the Europeans established the European Common
Market in order to improve trade within the region.
European Union
 Eventually
the Common Market
established a common currency and
evolved into the European Union. The
United States provided a model of the
federal system.
Super Power Status
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As a result of the end of the Cold War, the
United States became the world’s only
superpower.
Consequently, the United States not only had
a greater responsibility for maintaining world
peace in the face of regional conflicts, but in
the process has also aroused resentment.
Liberals and conservatives have different
perspectives on the proper role of the United
States in the world .
Israel
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The establishment of the state of Israel as a
homeland for the Jewish people in the wake
of the atrocities experienced in the Holocaust
precipitated an ongoing conflict in the
Middle East.
The United States has been involved in this
crisis since it first recognized the state of Israel
in 1948 [Truman].
The containment policy was extended to the
Middle East [Eisenhower].
Israel
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In an effort to maintain friendly states on the
border of the Soviet Union, the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) aided in the
overthrow of a nationalist government in Iran
and supported the repressive regime of the
Shah until he was overthrown by Muslim
fundamentalists.
American foreign policy supported Israel in its
ongoing defense against its Arab neighbors
and the Palestinian Liberation Organization
(PLO).
Terrorism
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Terrorist groups attempted to call attention to the
plight of the Palestinians and extort concessions
from the Israelis by hijacking airplanes and cruise
ships and by sending suicide bombers to murder
civilians and spread terror.
The United States policy was never to negotiate
with terrorists.
The importance of Middle East oil to the United
States’ economy led to shuttle diplomacy to stop
the oil embargo by the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) [Nixon].
Iran
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President Jimmy Carter’s personal commitment to
human rights led to the first steps towards peace in
the Middle East [Camp David Accords].
The invasion of the American embassy and the
holding of fifty-two American hostages by the
government of Iran contributed to Carter’s defeat
in the 1980 presidential election.
The United States withdrew troops from Lebanon
when terrorists bombed a United States army
barracks and negotiated with the regime in Iran to
gain the release of American hostages held in
Lebanon [Reagan].
Iraq
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The United States attempted to exercise
leadership in the Middle East because of
American dependence on foreign oil.
The United States led the world in the
response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the
early 1990s.
The first Persian Gulf War had the support of
many other nations of the world and resulted
in a quick military victory which restored the
independence of Kuwait [George H.W. Bush].
Iraq
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The prompt withdrawal of United States
military forces from Iraq after the first Gulf War
did not alter the balance of power in the
Middle East, but the presence of United States
troops in bases in Saudi Arabia aroused the
enmity of religious fanatics.
These joined with other fanatic religious
fundamentalists groups, particularly the
Taliban that had driven the Soviets out of
Afghanistan, to form terrorist groups such as al
Qaeda.
9/11
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After the bombing of the World Trade Center in
9/11 by al Qaeda, the United States sent military
forces to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan
because they had harbored al Qaeda.
The United States government, citing the presence
of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), also
invaded Iraq [George W. Bush].
Such weapons were never found.
The United States continues to have troops in
Afghanistan and is supporting the development of
democratic institutions in both Afghanistan and
Iraq.
Consequences
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During the Arab Spring of 2011 the United States
provided diplomatic support to those protesting
for more democratic institutions and gave air
support to the Libyan pro-democracy forces.
Relations with Iran continue to be strained
because of the Iranian development of nuclear
capability.
The United States continues to try to mediate the
issue of a Palestinian state with little success
[Clinton and Obama].
The Middle East continues to be a major area of
concern for American foreign policy.