Us Foreign
Policy Background to The Current Crisis
1946-1947 The beginning of the cold war.
Turkey G.
428
A year after WW II had ended, the Soviet Union was
tightening it’s hold on occupied areas.
It was also challenging British influence in the Mediterranean lands
such as Greece, Turkey, and the
middle east. The British withdrew their
forces because they could not keep their commitments to Greece or Turkey. A few weeks later, Harry S. Truman wanted to provide support to politically and
economically threatened countries. The
general policy to provide support for
these countries marked the beginning of the cold war.
1.
What
marked the beginning of the cold war?
2.
Who
did the U.S. openly decide to support in Turkey?
3.
Who
did the soviet Union challenge in the Mediterranean areas?
4.
Which
president opposed the Soviet Union’s occupation in threatened countries after
the British withdrew commitment and which started the cold war?
Israel G. 448
The U.S. uses different ways to establish foreign
relations. One way to make ties is formal recognition. This is when the President of the U.S.
publicly accepts and acknowledges another nation and receives their ambassadors
in Washington as that countries representative. President Truman granted the formal recognition to the state of Israel. The recognition took place hours after the word on the new nation
had been announced. At the end of the
cold war, the Soviet Union’s states sought the same legitimacy to the U.S. to
form new relations on different terms.
1.
Why
is it important for the U.S. to formally recognize a nation?
2.
What
is one way for the U.S. to establish foreign relations?.
3.
What
is Formal Recognition?
1970’s International affairs.
Israel,
President Carter, OPEC. G. 432, 445
Under the banner of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC) , oil
producers began raising the price and reducing the supply of crude oil during
the early 1970’s. A war had started
between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Since the U.S. was supporting Israel the Arab member states of OPEC
placed and embargo on western oil exportation. When the embargo ended,
Americans began to realize how much international developments affected the
U.S. economy.
1.
What
does OPEC stand for?
2.
Who
placed an embargo on western oil shipments?
3.
What
were Americans aware of after the embargo on oil export?
When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, President Carter placed a grain
embargo. Carter also sought relations
with China, and peace between Israel and Egypt. However, events in Iran took a heavy toll on the Carter
administration when Iranian revolutionaries seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran. This added to the general feeling of Americans
realizing they were vulnerable to international affairs.
1.
Which
President placed an embargo on grain to the Soviet Union?
2.
Which
U.S. embassy was seized by Iranian revolutionaries?
3.
What
was the feelings of American citizens after the hostage situation in Iran?
1980’s Select committee involvement
Iran,
Iran-Contra, G. 272, 291, 308
During Reagan’s second term in office, the national
security council was under close watch.
There was suspicions of selling weapons to Iran to arrange for the
secure release of American hostages in the middle east. The House and the Senate created a select
committee to investigate the sales of arms to Iran. The funds acquired by
the Reagan administration were being diverted to forces in Nicaragua seeking to
overthrow the government. This is known
as the Iran-contra affair.
1.
Where
were funds from arms sales to Iran diverted?
2.
What
president was in office during suspicion of weapons sales to Iran?
3.
Why
did the senate and house create a subcommittee in the Reagan era?
4.
What
nation did the national security council sell arms to in the Reagan era?
1990’s Approval of congress
Saddam
Hussein, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait G.
11,299, 436, 438, 449, 452
President George Bush gave Congress considerable freedom in dealing with the forces of Saddam Hussein. The leader of Iraq had successfully invaded Kuwait. After the cold war many countries arose as nuclear threats, including many third world countries such as Israel. Congress approved the president to use “all means necessary “ to force Iraq out of Kuwait. The U.S. did not leave Iraq to suffer from their leadership offering humanitarian aid to the Kurdish people of Iraq.
1.
What
other country besides Iraq, also gained nuclear prowess?
2.
Who
was the leader of Iraq during the Persian Gulf war?
3.
What
country did congress approve using force for driving out Iraq?
4.
What
country did the U.S. supply humanitarian aid to after the gulf war?