Diplomatic History Commons^™

United States Governmental Assessments Of The Rise Of Communism In And Around The Republic Of South Africa, Stuart Ledbetter

Voces Novae

No abstract provided.

A Forgotten Incident In A Forgotten War: The Military, Political, And Social Effects Of The No Gun Ri Incident Of The Korean War, Gabriel Robert Evans

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In late July 1950, a company from the 2nd Battalion 7th Cavalry Regiment fired on a refugee caravan near the village of No Gun Ri, resulting in the deaths of many Korean civilians. The story of No Gun Ri was published by Associated Press reporters on September 30, 1999, prompting Army investigators within the Clinton Administration to spend nearly two years verifying the AP’s claims. While the Inspector General’s No Gun Ri Review confirmed that U.S. troops had killed Korean civilians, it was not a conclusive report. This thesis analyzes the No Gun Ri Incident and the Clinton Administration’s efforts …

The Breakdown Of Soviet-American Relations After World War Ii: Changes In The Historiography, Angelina K. Lambros

Publications and Research

This article analyzes Cold War historiography, addressing how interpretations have evolved regarding the historical question of whether the Soviet Union or the United States was more responsible for the breakdown in Soviet-American relations after World War II. In the years immediately after World War II, the dominant interpretation in the U.S. was that the Cold War was a result of Soviet aggression. But by the late 1950s, a revisionist school began to develop, and it blamed the Cold War on America's desire for capitalist expansion. Eventually, a post-revisionist school emerged. Post-revisionism sought a more complex picture, and refrained from blaming …

Temple Of Peace : International Cooperation And Stability Since 1945, Ingo Trauschweizer

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

This collection raises timely questions about peace and stability as it interrogates the past and present status of international relations.

The post–World War II liberal international order, upheld by organizations such as the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and similar alliances, aspired to ensure decades of collective security, economic stability, and the rule of law. All of this was a negotiated process that required compromise—and yet it did not make for a peaceful world.

When Winston Churchill referred to the UN framework as “the temple of peace” in his famous 1946 Iron Curtain speech, he maintained that international …

The Cold War: Over, Renewed, Or Never Ended?, Matt Phipps

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Cold War has been studied repeatedly since the war supposedly ended in 1991. However recent events are starting to cause some concern and make many question whether or not the Cold War actually ended, if it took a different shape or perhaps has just been on pause. I argue that the Cold War has been a conflict that has been going on since 1947 and although the conflict has looked differently in recent decades the conflict was never properly put to an end. The research analyzes US decision making with respect to Russian and Asian relations over the last …

The Role Of Agricultural And Land Policies In The Failure Of The British Mandate For Palestine, Beth Ann Lynk

History Theses & Dissertations

This study follows the thread of chronic land loss for small and subsistence Arab farmers in Palestine and the key solution repeatedly advocated by the British of intensive agriculture and how it routinely failed only to fuel increased tensions and violence between Arabs and Jews contributing to the reversal of the goal of a unified Palestine under the Mandate. A variety of primary and secondary sources were used to identify the main social patterns and laws during the Ottoman Empire which set up the dynamic of agricultural debt leading to land sales to Jewish immigrants. This pattern is then traced …

Drawbridge Diplomacy: Romanian-American Relations, 1963-1968, Brett A. Jerasa

History Theses & Dissertations

Entering the White House in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson pursued a policy of "bridge building" to Eastern Europe, finding agreement on small issues of economics and foreign relations in order to decrease tension between East and West. Johnson targeted Romania as the show case for bridge building because of its growing autonomy from the Soviet Union. Romania's policies of rapid industrialization and foreign policy independence offered potent possibilities. However, Johnson's bridge building faced many difficulties. His administration pursued a dual Cold War policy: he fought communist belligerency in Vietnam while affirming the positive behavior of Eastern European satellites. Despite the …

The United States Information Agency And The "New Look": France And India, 1953-1961, Leanne Alicia Sutton

History Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the creation of the United States Information Agency (USIA) under the guidance of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and looks at the place of the Agency in the "New Look." The US Information Agency was an important "soft" tool in the American struggle with the Soviet Union for preponderant influence around the world and played a part in the American effort to maintain the balance between the Communist and Free worlds. This study takes a deeper look at the work of the Agency in two case studies, which examine the work of the USIA in France, a reluctant …

Russian Supply Efforts In America During The First World War, Dale C. Rielage

History Theses & Dissertations

The Russian government entered the First World War unprepared for the strains that modern warfare would impose on its industrial resources. As a result, Russia turned to foreign suppliers, most significantly the United States, and made extensive purchases largely financed by British loans. These foreign supply efforts involved both the Tsarist government and representatives of the newly emerging civil elements in Russian society.

Central to the experience of Russian purchasing in the United States was the Russian Supply Commission in America. Established in October 1915 as a coordinating body, the Supply Commission was noteworthy in that it included representatives of …

Difficulties In Diplomacy: A Case Study Of Relations Between The United States And The Republic Of Congo, 1960-1965, James R. Hawn Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

As he took office, President John F. Kennedy articulated new policies sympathetic to African independence movements, but his policies turned out to be conditional. Aid continued to be granted to resource rich, pro-Western governments.

When the Republic of Congo gamed its independence, it retained its pro-Western cultural and economic ties with its former colonial power, France. Lacking natural resources and an industrial base, this country sought large amounts of economic aid from the West to sustain itself. France and the United States failed to live up to the Congo's expectations. Accusations of massive corruption sealed the fate of the government …

The United States And The Netherlands: A Study Of Early Cold War Cooperation, Michael R. Hirman

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the policy that the United States utilized between 1945 and 1950 to enlist Dutch support for post-war European organizations and the place of this relationship within United States overall Cold War policy. The Netherlands willingness to cooperate and further United States objectives significantly contributed to the development of economic reconstruction and military security in Western Europe. In addition the United States unprecedented vision for a multilateral defense treaty came to fruition in part through Dutch support and compliance. However, the Dutch also had to make some historic changes. The United States opposed the Dutch attempt to retake …

Eisenhower And Khrushchev At The Paris Summit: Anatomy Of A Failure, Vincent Michael Kapral

History Theses & Dissertations

Although it seemed at the time that the destruction of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft over Soviet territory, slightly over two weeks prior to the Four-Power May 1960 Paris Conference had ended the summit, more deeply rooted historical differences ensured the meeting's failure. While President Dwight Eisenhower sought to ensure a national policy of defense sufficiency via his New Look strategy, he faced many internal and external critics who over-stepped or underutilized their positions. These included Allen Dulles, Christian Herter, Richard Bissell and Charles De Gaulle. Nikita Khrushchev faced internal division over his desires to achieve a new peaceful coexistence as …

The African Independence Movement And United States Foreign Policy, 1945-1960, Vera Mclauchlin Wyche

History Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the Cold War, the United states and the soviet Union competed for the allegiance of the uncommitted areas of the world. Many of these areas, such as the newly emerging states of Africa sought independence from their colonial masters, some of whom were America's major allies. Yet the United States advocated only a gradual transition to independence lest the new states fall prey to instability and communist penetration.

This study examines the early cold war attempts of the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations to fashion a policy toward Africa which would please Europeans and Africans alike while preventing the growth …

The Soviet Military: Pressures For Change 1981-1991, William C. Dughi

History Theses & Dissertations

The US-Soviet arms race entered a new stage in the late 1970s and early 1980s which created a revolution in military-technological affairs including new weapons systems possessing revolutionary levels of sophistication. The rapid development and acquisition of these weapons systems by the United States created pressure on the Soviet Union to continue the economically debilitating arms race. By 1985, in the midst of this military-technical revolution, Mikhail S. Gorbachev began his reform of Soviet system, including Soviet military doctrine, creating pressure on the Soviet military. These two pressures on the Soviet military are the subject of this thesis. How were …

Political Interference In Military Operations During The Anglo-Zulu War Of 1879, Thomas Max Lansford

History Theses & Dissertations

This work examines the degree and effect of the reluctant cooperation of the British government and its colonial agencies with the British army during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. While it is clear that there was no civilian conspiracy to interfere with the army, it is also clear that several of the policies of the government and its colonial agencies hindered army operations. The study is based on the War Office narrative of military operations, on Colonial and War Office correspondence, and on the memoirs and diaries of several participants.

The Failure Of United States Foreign Policy In Egypt 1953-1956, Patrick Bruce Lowrey

History Theses & Dissertations

In 1953 the incoming Eisenhower administration deemed the Middle East region to be of strategic value. Egypt was viewed as an integral part of the administration's containment policy in the region directed at the Soviet Union. A major effort was made by Eisenhower and Dulles to court. the newly emerging leadership of Egypt with economic inducements and military equipment. By the fall of 1956 this policy had failed in its primary objective of keeping Soviet influence out of the region. Eisenhower and Dulles feared Egypt was in danger of becoming a client state of the Soviet Union; and, their policy …

Edgardo Mercado Jarrin: Peruvian Foreign Policy During The First Three Years Of The Revolutionary Military Government, 1968-1970, Cindy Lucille Robertson

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines Foreign Minister Edgardo Mercado Jarrin's policies between 1968 and 1971, investigating the degree to which he formulated an independent Peruvian foreign policy. It traces the ideological underpinnings behind Peruvian diplomacy. The study analyzes three basic dimensions of foreign policy: the seizure of La Brea and Parinas oil fields, the capture of unregistered fishing vessels, and the extension of relations to nonaligned and communist countries. General Mercado charted a new course for Peruvian diplomacy by focusing on the inequities of international maritime law, strengthening relations with the Soviets, carving a niche for Peru in Third World politics, and …

Inter-American Indemnity: Internal Security And The Mutual Security Program For Latin America (1951-1961), Robert George Baker

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the purpose of U.S. military aid in the American Republics from 1951 through 1961 and proves that concern for internal security became dominant during that period. At first military aid supported hemispheric defense against communist aggression, which Washington orchestrated through mutual defense agreements, but by 1953 maintenance of internal security emerged as the major aim of aid to several Central American nations. In 1956 the National Security Council determined that internal security was a vital goal of the military aid program for Latin America. The ascendance of internal security concerns is described and analyzed in three parts: …

George F. Kennan And The Rebuilding Of Japan: The Second Phase Of Occupation Policy, Rhonda S. Beckham

History Theses & Dissertations

As head of the Policy Planning Staff of the Department of State, George F. Kennan had the opportunity to implement aspects of the containment policy which he had helped to create. In 1947, Japan became vital to United States national security interests in Asia but was threatened by Communist infiltration because of an unstable political and economic situation promulgated by the initial post-surrender policy immediately after the war. An investigation by Kennan led to the implementation of significant changes which were enumerated in a National Security Council Report. This thesis will examine Kennan's foreign policy philosophy, the containment theory, the …

The Evolution And Implementation Of Eisenhower's "New Look" Foreign Policy: Guatemala, Jonathan Joseph York

History Theses & Dissertations

In 1954, a United States assisted coup ousted the freely elected Jacobo Arbenz Guatemalan government. The Eisenhower administration took action because it believed the Guatemalan government was influenced by a communist movement directed from Moscow. Eisenhower's "New Look" foreign policy, a continuation of the containment theory, utilized and revitalized the inner core of the Executive Branch to achieve its objective of eliminating the communist menace emanating from Guatemala. The strategy that supported Eisenhower's policy was successful largely due to conducive political and public opinion in the United States and instability within Guatemala. The "New Look" strategy incorporated use of diplomatic …

The Truman Administration, Israel, And Containment In The Middle East 1945-1952, Leslie Tarbutton

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines United States policy towards Israel from 1948 to 1952 to determine the extent to which the support given to Israel during the Truman administration reflected the major United States policy goal in the Middle East, the containment of the Soviet Union.

Sources used in this thesis include: archival material; printed collections of documents; memoirs; and secondary sources.

The Truman administration pursued containment in the Middle East by cooperating with Great Britain to improve the economic and military well-being of the Arab states so they could resist any Soviet attempts to dominate the region. However, domestic political pressure …

Eisenhower, Vietnam, And The Geneva Conference Of 1954, Dean Rourke Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

The thesis examines the 1954 Geneva Conference which appeared to be a turning point in America's foreign policy in Indochina. The Conference was initially held to discuss the Korean War armistice but as the the French position in Indochina deteriorated, the Conference evolved into a French effort to end their Indochina commitment and, thus, the first Indochina war. The role of the Eisenhower administration at Geneva and whether that role was part of a clearly defined foreign policy agenda or a policy that merely reacted to events as they occurred is examined. The thesis shows that a negative attitude toward …

The Rhetorical Factors Applied To The Reorientation Of American Public Opinion Toward The Soviet Union Immediately After June 22, 1941, Stanley Paul Berry

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis asks the question: what rhetorical factors were applied to the reorientation of American public opinion toward the Soviet Union immediately after June 22, 1941. A brief review of American diplomatic trends leading to June 22, 1941 is provided. The term rhetoric is operationally defined and the limits establishing causation between persuasion and opinion are delineated. The national communication process is explained and a national opinion profile, as it existed in the spring of 1941, is described. Initial persuasive responses to the Russo-German war are addressed and analyzed. The primary persuasive goals are identified as improving the public's image …

The Effects Of United States Inter-American Policy On U.S. Relations With Chile, 1958-1978, Michael Hunter Brown

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination and explanation of United States relations with Chile from 1958-1978. The policy of U.S. opposition to the Chilean left, especially during the government of Marxist Salvador Allende from 1970-1973, and support of anti-Marxist forces in Chile, which included a repressive military dictatorship established by a coup in 1973, reflect the overall themes of anti-Marxism and protection of American economic interests inherent in U.S. global and inter-American policy since the Second World War. The major sources of information for this study are reports from investigations and hearings conducted by the United States Congress, especially Covert Action …

French Diplomacy In Italy, 1450-1463, Mary Jane Callahan

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the intricacies of the diplomatic policies of the French in the Italian states of Naples, Milan and Genoa in the middle of the fifteenth century. The particular emphasis concerns French activity with regard to claims in Naples and Milan and control of Genoa during the latter years of the reign of Charles VII and the first two years of his son, Louis XI. The Kingdom of Naples was claimed by Rene of. Anjou, brother-in-law of Charles VII, as the named successor of the Neapolitan queen, Joanna II. Charles of Orleans, another brother-in-law, claimed the Duchy of Milan …

The British Diplomatic Response To The Central American Policies Of The Franklin Pierce Administration, 1853-1856, William Mark Hillsman

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the British Foreign Office's response to the Central American policies of the Franklin Pierce administration. When the Pierce administration came to power in 1853 the United States government abandoned the idea, contained in the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850, of an Anglo-American partnership in Central America and instead launched a diplomatic offensive designed to force Britain completely out of the area. The major source for this study is the Clarendon Manuscripts which contain the personal correspondence of Foreign Secretary Clarendon and his minister in Washington, John F. Crampton, as well as numerous intergovernmental memoranda and …

France, The United States And The Spanish-American War, Richard Henry Owens

History Theses & Dissertations

The present study is an examination of the effect of the Spanish-American War on the formal relations of France and the United States. Because France was the neighbor and friend of Spain and also at least an erstwhile friend of the United States, the war presented certain difficulties for the French government. At home colonialists and royalists sympathetic to Spain demanded overt support of the Spanish cause. The Spanish government looked to France first to lead a diplomatic coalition against the United States and then to mediate the dispute. The United States, meanwhile, urged Paris to follow a policy of …

United States Foreign Policy And Mesopotamian Oil 1923-1928, Robert Francaviglia

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis views the efforts of American oil interests to participate in the exploitation of Middle East oil resources in the 192Os as a point of departure in United States foreign policy. In its opposition to official involvement in the affairs of private business, the United States Government insisted that American oil companies negotiate directly with the British Government­ dominated companies which controlled the Near and Middle East. By placing the execution of its international oil policy under the control of private industry, the United States Government surrendered its capacity to conduct diplomacy with regard to a vital strategic resource. …

The United States Great Britain And The Status Of Thailand (Siam), 1940-1946, Peter Goodwin

History Theses & Dissertations

This paper traces the changes in the attitudes and policies of the United States towards the Southeast Asian country of Thailand during the Second World War. From a position of indifference the United States assumed an active role in the emergence of Thailand as a sovereign nation at the conclusion of the war, encouraging pro-American factions and opposing a traditional power of the area, Great Britain.

The emphasis of the paper is on the different attitudes held by Britain and the United States and the efforts to reconcile them. The British expected recompense by the Thais for allying themselves with …

The United States And The Anschluss; Reactions And Repercussions, Joseph Pociask

History Theses & Dissertations

The American reaction to a critical act of aggression is studied in its many facets. Using a case study approach, the Administration's response to the Anschluss is considered in detail and conclusions are drawn regarding the Anschluss problem specifically and the foreign policy of the Roosevelt Administration in general. Among the repercussions are the diplomatic reaction, the dispute over the pending sale of helium, the Austrian debt, the refugee problem and other problems of a more technical nature which often arise in the forcible takeover of a nation. The State Department and the Administration do not emerge as successful manipulators …