Diplomatic Relations between the USA, Great Britain and the Soviet Union during the Period of Antagonistic Cooperation and the Failure of US Atomic Diplomacy
For a short period of time after World War II, the political leadership of the United States hoped that the atomic bomb would give them the upper hand in reshaping the post-war geopolitical landscape of Europe. After the war, Great Britain was too weak to oppose the expansion of the USSR in Eastern...
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| Dokumentumtípus: | Szakdolgozat |
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2018
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| Online Access: | http://diploma.bibl.u-szeged.hu/73954 |
| Tartalmi kivonat: | For a short period of time after World War II, the political leadership of the United States hoped that the atomic bomb would give them the upper hand in reshaping the post-war geopolitical landscape of Europe. After the war, Great Britain was too weak to oppose the expansion of the USSR in Eastern Europe. In addition to that, the USA, still optimistic about future cooperation with the Soviet Union, refused to assist the British. However, after it became clear at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences that the coordination of American and Soviet interests might be impossible, the United States attempted to exert pressure on the Soviet Union with their new weapon. This atomic diplomacy, however failed for several reasons. American national traditions, the bureaucratic infighting of the Truman administration, effective Soviet diplomatic tactics, and a lack of credibility behind the atomic threat could be listed as the underlying causes. Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’ and ‘Article X,’ which outlined the first elaborate plan to combat Soviet aggression, categorically opposed the use of military force. This, together with the quick success of the Marshall Plan, further debased atomic diplomacy as a plausible instrument. Finally, the NSC-68, a document which aimed to formulate a united national policy regarding foreign affairs, shifted the focus on the improvement of traditional forces and sealed the role of the atomic bomb as a means of deterrence. |
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