Transcript US History Standard 8.6

South Carolina Standard USHC-8.6
Mr. Hoover
Abbeville High School
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What was America’s role in the changing world, including
the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the expansion of the
European Union?
How did the United States deal with the continuing crisis in
the Middle East, and the rise of global terrorism?
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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.
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When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet
Union in 1985, he advocated glasnost (openness) and
perestroika (economic restructuring).
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.
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The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 signaled the
waning power of the Soviet Union and symbolized the end
of the Cold War.
Soviet hardliners attempted to overthrow Gorbachev and
the resulting confusion led to the break up of the Soviet
Union into separate states.
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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.
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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.
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Eventually the Common Market established a common
currency and evolved into the European Union.
The United States provided a model of the federal system.
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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 peace in the face of regional
conflicts, but in the process has also aroused resentment.
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Liberals and conservatives have different perspectives on
the proper role of the United States in the world.
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].
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The containment policy was extended to the Middle East
[Eisenhower].
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.
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American foreign policy supported Israel in its ongoing
defense against its Arab neighbors and the Palestinian
Liberation Organization (PLO).
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
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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].
President Jimmy Carter’s
personal commitment to
human rights led to the first
steps towards peace in the
Middle East [Camp David
Accords].
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The invasion of the American embassy and the
holding of one hundred seventy-nine American
hostages by the government of Iran contributed to
Carter’s defeat in the 1980 presidential election.
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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].
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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].
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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.
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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.
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The United States government, citing the presence of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD), also invaded Iraq
[George W. Bush]. Such weapons were never found.
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As of this writing, the United States continues to have
troops in Afghanistan and is supporting the development of
democratic institutions in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
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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 prodemocracy forces.
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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.