Verified Document

Nixon's Policy Toward The U.S.S.R. Term Paper

When a progressive Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, the fall of the Soviet Union was immanent and inevitable. After the fall of the Soviet Union under Reagan's watch, his Vice President Bush inherited the problem of dealing with a fragmented Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Bush Sr.'s foreign policy toward Moscow was largely passive, arguably much more passive than any of his predecessors were because the Cold War was over and the threat of nuclear war temporarily set aside. Moreover, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was still taking place and Bush Sr. watched while new nation-states emerged out of the Soviet Bloc. However, Bush Sr. negotiated nuclear disarmament treaties with Gorbachev and his successor Boris Yeltsin and willingly recognized the independence of many formerly Soviet republics.

Relations with Russia again grew tense under President Clinton largely because of the conflicts that arose in the Balkans. The Soviet Union had been a blanket republic encompassing countless tribal, ethnic, cultural, and religious groups. When the U.S.S.R. was dissolved, former Soviet Republics clamored for independence. However, the geo-political boundaries were all but arbitrary and not based on their ethnic characters. In some cases, whole ethnic groups were marginalized and persecuted as minorities under their new leaders. Russia's policy toward the Balkan region was self-serving and thus overlooked many of the humanitarian crises...

President Clinton's foreign policy toward Russia, therefore, sought to balance humanitarian ideals with regional stability. In particular, Clinton responded aggressively to Slobodan Milosevic, a Serbian dictator who conducted widespread progroms of ethnic cleansing in Serbia. The Clinton-led UN-sponsored invasion of Yugoslavia irked Russia and damped foreign relations with Moscow.
Since Clinton left office and Bush Jr. assumed the position of President, relations with Russia have only partially thawed. A former member of the Soviet secret service KGB, President Putin has been a vocal opponent of many U.S. foreign policy decisions. His overbearing domestic policy has all but stopped short democracy in Russia and tensions in the Balkans continue to be a point of disagreement between Bush's and Putin's administrations. Bush Jr.'s foreign policy toward Russia is therefore not dissimilar from that of his father: careful waiting, watching, and preparedness. Neither Bush Sr. Nor Jr. developed any cohesive plan or policy toward Russia. Rather, both dealt with Moscow on a case-by-case basis.

Works Cited

Bill Clinton's War in Yugoslavia." Retrieved Feb 27, 2008 at http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Yugoslavia/BillClintonsWar_Yugo.html

George Bush Sr. On Foreign Policy." On the Issues. Retrieved Feb 27, 2008 at http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/George_Bush_Sr__Foreign_Policy.htm

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Bill Clinton's War in Yugoslavia." Retrieved Feb 27, 2008 at http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Yugoslavia/BillClintonsWar_Yugo.html

George Bush Sr. On Foreign Policy." On the Issues. Retrieved Feb 27, 2008 at http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/George_Bush_Sr__Foreign_Policy.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Inaugural Addresses by U.S. Presidents
Words: 949 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

"We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course. Both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter

US Security the Evolving U.S.
Words: 3069 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

To an extent, the idea of Cold War nation building has been in evidence in attempts to instill democracy in fronts such as Afghanistan and Iraq. But as a new president seeks to undo the damage of previous security policy conditions, it is apparent that this is an archaic approach to understanding the way individuals tend to behave under foreign occupation. The resistance that has made Iraq one of

Nixon and Watergate It Was
Words: 4038 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Kennedy won the election by a very narrow margin, 120,000 votes or 0.2% of the electorate. Most historians believe that the primary reason John F. Kennedy won the Presidential Election was because of the non-verbal "poor body language" on the television debate with Richard Nixon in 1960 -- especially valid since radio audiences overwhelmingly voted that Nixon had won the debate. Nixon's body language was furtive, he was perspiring,

Foreign Policy Nixon's Detente Description Detente Was
Words: 4534 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Foreign Policy Nixon's Detente Description Detente was a cooling down, or thaw, among America, Russia and China's arms' race (Detente). The United States and Russia could either slow their weapons production or continue the arms race, which, people feared could end in a devastating war (Detente, CNN). Nixon and Henry Kissinger worked secretly on Detente at summit meetings in Beijing and Moscow. President Gerald Ford signed on to Detente in Helsinki in 1975.

Common European Security and Defense Policy Development and Prospects...
Words: 5762 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

European Security and Defense Policy: Development and Prospects United States Attitudes toward European Defense The Background to the Dilemma: In December of 1991, the Soviet Union - Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" - ceased to exist. Communism was dead. The Cold War over. Long live freedom and democracy! The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was replaced by a weak and impoverished federation of fifteen republics. America stood alone. She had become - in

Challenging the Beijing Consensus China Foreign Policy in the 21st...
Words: 24240 Length: 60 Document Type: Dissertation or Thesis complete

Foreign Policy of China (Beijing consensus) Structure of Chinese Foreign Policy The "Chinese Model" of Investment The "Beijing Consensus" as a Competing Framework Operational Views The U.S.-China (Beijing consensus) Trade Agreement and Beijing Consensus Trading with the Enemy Act Export Control Act. Mutual Defense Assistance Control Act Category B Category C The 1974 Trade Act. The Operational Consequences of Chinese Foreign Policy The World Views and China (Beijing consensus) Expatriates The Managerial Practices Self Sufficiency of China (Beijing consensus) China and western world: A comparison The China (Beijing

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now