US Foreign Policy from 1945-

The Dardanelles strait was a very important strategic area that Stalin had demanded joint control of in 1946. But the Greece situation was more explanatory. Starting late 1946, Greek communists had started a guerilla war against the Greece government, the Greek Civil War, with Hellenic forces taking on Democratic Army of Greece, the military branch of the Greek Communists, and British troops had attempted to help. In early 1947, when the British had said they could help no further, with their hard pressed economy, Truman organized a plan, the Truman Doctrine, to send 500 million to Turkey and Greece, 400 million of which was sent to hard pressed Greece. the Marshall Plan, in which some 13 billion dollars were distributed to European countries, clearly shows the attempt by the United States to bring Europe back to full power, this having probably come mainly from the previous knowledge that Europe had defaulted on their debts back in 1929-1930 following the Dawes-Severalty Act.Japan, in which Douglas MacArthur occupied the country for 7 years, brought about the greatest revival in history. In a matter of a few decades, Japan had garnered the second highest GDP in the world, from 1980-2000, after the United States. The economic crash in the start of the 21st century has brought them down to 4th, but the point is clear. Halfway through the Showa and the beginning of the Heisei era, Japan grew at a rate that surpassed the Meiji Restoration, which had followed the Bakumatsu, and was a phenomenon in which Japan had become a world power within 50 years following reopened communications with the outside world. America had also joined NATO, a move that just 10 years earlier was unthinkable. An America that had always done things its own way joining a joint organization, both the United Nations and NATO, was a radical step, which gives more credence to their attempts at containment.

And the US only entered two major wars since, until the Bush regime, both in which the Communists were the clear aggressors, whether it was the North Koreans charge into South Korea on June 25, 1950, spearheaded by Soviet tanks, or the guerrilla attacks by the PAVN. However, that is not to say that no imperialistic move ever took place. Rather, an extraordinary amount of behind the scenes intervention, particularly by the CIA, created an atmosphere of American domination. The US intervened in China, admittedly half heartedly, until Chiang Kai Shek was defeated. They had helped rebuild Greek and Turkey, and gave economic aid to the now independent Philippines, although historians have claimed that a few strings attached, namely the continued maintenance of some military bases in the country. They gave great economic help to the South Koreans, and was a major component of the UN forces that fought North Korean forces in the Korean war, the only military intervention in Truman’s presidency.

the British government and the Eisenhower administration overturned the opposition by the previous Truman administration, and installed Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. not only did he contradictory to his words sponsor an infamous coup, he also had threatened use of a nuclear weapon, albeit to end the Korean war, and it was Eisenhower who reopened relationship with Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain. It was he, along with Dulles, his secretary of state, who came up with covert action by the CIA. It was this same covert action that overthrew the leader of Iran. And just one year later, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, the democratically elected leader of Guatemala, was overthrown. Eisenhower’s CIA followed the same principles to combat the KGB and Soviet Union in the Republic of Congo. It was Eisenhower who began getting involved in the Southeast Asia quagmire, or Vietnam. He sent hundreds of Marines in Operation Blue Bat to bolster the non-Communist Lebanese government in 1958, and was involved in the Baghdad Pact, widely regarded as a total flop. And in NSC 162/2, nuclear power was emphasized. His administration, of course, remained as embroiled in confusion as ever.

In 1958, the US government secretly plotted and failed to overthrow Sukarno, leader of Indonesia. Yet one year later, they pressured the Dutch into giving Indonesia greater territory. In the chaotic period of 1959, the United States military helped install Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, a dictator who would take over Haiti and whose secret police, Tonton Macoutes, would kill an estimated 30,000. Admittedly, the Kennedy administration withdrew aid in 1961. Contrary to popular thought, however, Eisenhower was not involved in the Cuban revolution; he in fact started an economic embargo against Bautista’s government. It may be interesting to note, however, that some US businesses continued trading with Cuba. And what better way to conclude such a prolific presidency than to sponsor a blatant coup, one that was not even attempted to be conducted secretly. In 1960, Patrice Lumumba, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Congo, began opening relations with Khrushchev, and the USSR and Congo began trading. The US sent troops and CIA operatives and helped Joseph Kasa-vubu take over in a military coup, assassinating Lumumba. The justification for this has been disputed, as it is undeniable that Lumumba had openly received aid and allied itself with Khrushchev. And then came Kennedy, who was certainly less involved with other countries. Nonetheless, he did indeed get involved with other countries. In 1962, he sent Marines to Thailand to quell Communist forces.

Kennedy found himself slightly different from Eisenhower, in that he found justification in his coups. In 1964, the military, with the approval of the US government and important Brazilian officials, overthrew Joao Goulart, who had indisputably housed Communists in his country. A United States Government, worried about the Communist build-up in the country, overthrew the contradictory President, and the military government came into power, which would cause unforeseen consequences, as neoliberal economic reforms would bring about a great economic age but later lead to ruining the Brazilian economy. From 1962-1975, the US was greatly involved in Laos, helping anti-communist forces.

Kennedy, and then Johnson, applied great pressure to Cheddi Jagan, head of British Guiana, believing that Jagan was in cahoots with the USSR, and Jagan was forced to resign after just 133 days. And then came Johnson’s era. He sent Marines to help start a Coup d’etat and overthrow Juan Bosch. His advisors, as well as the ambassador to the Dominican Republic, advised him against staying neutral, and hence the civil war raged, until 1966, Joaquin Balaguer, with the obvious help of US support, took the presidency. The next event remains controversial, as US involvement is disputed, even today. In September 30, 1965, in a failed coup that would become known as the September movement, six senior generals attempted to overthrow the government. It failed quickly, but its ramifications were significant, as some 500,000 to 1 million communists were killed, and the previously dominant PKI party was demolished as General Suharto took control. Most historians agree that these events are shrouded in mystery, and US involvement is still unknown to this day. The Gulf of Tonkins, the expansion into Cambodia and Laos, etc, are things that are so well known I see little need to cover the Vietnam war.

And then Nixon came, and with he furthered the policy of concealment, including his expansion into the neighboring countries of Vietnam, but also in his policy. The story of Salvador Allende and Chile exemplifies his policy. Allende was a Communist, and upon his election in 1970, the CIA aided 3 different anti-Allende organizations and attempted to instigate a coup. In 1973, the military succeeded in ousting Allende, who shot himself, and dictator Augusto Pinochet took control. CIA involvement in the 1973 coup is disputed, while being unquestionably involved in 1970, no hard evidence shows whether the CIA was also aiding the military coup. Infamous Khmer Rouge cannot be forgotten. In 1970, when Prince Sihanouk was gone for health issues, General Lon Nol took the country, sponsored by the CIA. Pol Pot then went on to massacre some 21% of his own people, about 1.5-2.5 million people. It was also during Nixon’s time that the infamous, bloody, long and costly Angola Civil War took place, where the US and USSR poured in enough support to create two strongly opposing blocs. In addition, massive support was given to the guerrillas in Afghanistan to combat the USSR. A minor conflict occurred in Ethiopia as well (Ogaden war).

And then came Reagan, arguably the most aggressive president in the history of the United States. Not content with massively building up the US defense budget, by about 50% from 300 billion to 450 billion, which fell after his presidency and rose again during the Bush administration. Yet it is certainly true that it is the largest buildup outside of a situation of war. Reagan sent troops to 13 different countries, and at least 5 of these countries/areas multiple times, notably Libya and the Honduras/Nicaragua area. Perhaps the best known of Reagan’s interventions is in Nicaragua, the affair with the Sandinistas. Augusto Cesar Sandino had promised to talk if the US left, and after the US left the country, did indeed open talks with Anastasio Somoza Garcia, the US backed leader. But Somoza kidnapped and killed Sandino and took power. But in the 1970s, Somoza’s dynasty fell, and civil war broke out between the Sandinistas and the Contras. The Contras were heavily backed by the CIA, and the brouhaha over the Iran-Contra affair broke out later concerning the arms flow. At any rate, neither party won in the public elections. Reagan is of course known for the bombing of Libya as well, and he viewed Gaddafi as one of the three major Communist leaders, and killed Gaddafi’s daughter during the bombings, part of Operation El Dorado Canyon. In Operation Urgent Fury, the US military took the slowly Soviet leaning Grenada in a matter of hours. The US supplied Hussein with incredible amounts of weaponry in the Iran-Iraq war as well.

And then came Bush, who signaled the slowly plummeting quality of US presidents. Bush, in Operation Just Cause, overthrew Manuel Noriega, a man who the US itself had installed, and who had been on the CIA payroll and was known to transport drugs since 1970s. He also gets involved in Operation Silver Anvil (Sierra Leone), and Operation Restore Hope, involvement in the Somalia Civil War.

And then came Clinton who, although was not involved in anything major, managed to get himself caught up in sending military troops to 14 different countries, from Haiti, in Operation Uphold Democracy in which 20,000 US troops were sent, to Operation Desert Fox, a bombing of Iraq in 1998, and Operation Infinite Reach, where bases in Afghanistan and Sudan were bombed.

And finally came Bush, who had his war on terrorism and spread US influence around the world.